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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (5 November) . . Page.. 3601 ..

MRS CARNELL (Chief Minister and Minister for Health and Community Care) (11.05): Mr Speaker, I am almost dumbfounded that Mr Berry could stand up and make those comments on this issue. It was only in the September sittings that Mr Berry got up and made comments such as, "Prohibition has worked".

Mr Berry: For some people.

MRS CARNELL: No, you did not say "for some people". You said that prohibition has worked for almost all people. That was the approach, you said. He also spent a fair amount of time getting stuck into Mr Moore and me for trying to get broader approaches to drug therapy. I might use that just a little bit later.

This is the other thing I find quite fascinating. Mr Berry, as I remember, had a brave new world approach in September. He had a press conference and spoke to the world. I think I have his press release here. It is headed, "Labor's push to get back to the issues that effect Canberran's everyday lives". There was a big press conference. I think he made comments in the Assembly as well, Mr Speaker, but I could be wrong on that. He said here that we must rebuild our economy and create jobs - all the things I totally agree with - and then he said that what we would not be talking about anymore was such things as euthanasia, heroin trials, or any of this sort of drug stuff. But guess what he has as the first item on the agenda of the first private members business in this sitting? Drugs, Mr Speaker. There is nothing about jobs, nothing about local business, nothing about the future of the Territory; it is about drugs. It did not last long, Mr Speaker.

Mr Berry's approach here is simply political opportunism in its worst form. It is an absolute stunner, Mr Speaker. Nobody except Mr Berry, I believe, would criticise the approach that this side of the house has adopted in the drugs area in an attempt to broaden the whole approach, the whole debate on the drug issue.

Mr Berry: You have failed miserably. You set us back 10 years.

MRS CARNELL: Mr Berry, you might be interested to know that we have 430 places in the methadone program now, not the 300 or whatever it was that we had. The methadone program certainly is increasing. All of those things obviously do cost money. Mr Berry might also be interested to learn that there are more than 135 beds available in the Territory for alcohol and other drug rehabilitation and detoxification, in both the government and non-government sectors.

Mr Berry: Do not do it then. Forget about it. We do not have a problem.

Mr Humphries: I take a point of order, Mr Speaker. Mr Berry was heard pretty well in silence during his remarks.

Mr Corbell: He was not.

Mr Humphries: He was, and Mrs Carnell has been continually interrupted by Mr Berry during this address.

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