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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (5 November) . . Page.. 3609 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

and the issues facing young people;

Evaluate education models to ensure the adoption of strategies which are shown to minimise the harm associated with drugs and to minimise the harmful use of drugs.

The meeting:

reconfirms its commitment to the Charter for Drug Law Reform;

re-emphasises the failure of prohibition;

re-emphasises the unattainable goal of the `drug free society'; and

re-emphasises the danger that a policy of prohibition escalates rather than minimises the damage to society.

Mr Speaker, it is for those reasons that I will move an amendment to paragraph (4). The amendment would mean that the motion then would read:

That the Legislative Assembly:

... ... ...

(4) believes that the programs put in place should primarily seek to minimise the harmful use of drugs and such programs should include education, treatment and rehabilitation programs focused to meet the special needs of the targeted groups rather than based on out of date formulae.

Mr Speaker, that does not preclude what Mr Berry is looking at, namely, deterring young people from taking up drugs. It just does not put it as priority one. The amendment that was circulated omitted the word "up". I apologise for that. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to re-emphasise our commitment to harm minimisation. That is why I will be supporting the motion.

MR OSBORNE (11.35): I will be very brief today. I do not feel that this motion of Mr Berry's is about our views on drugs. I think it is about something else. I think it is about consistency. I do not think I need to tell you, Mr Speaker, how hard it is at times sitting next to this gentleman in the Assembly.

Mr Moore: The one with the furry face.

MR OSBORNE: The king of marijuana, the king of heroin trials, the king of euthanasia. I find it very hard at times even to look at him, but grudgingly I respect him because at least he is consistent. Whether I like his views or not, or like other members' views or not, I respect them when they are consistent. I feel that on the issue of drugs I have been consistent throughout my term in the Assembly. I have certainly looked at issues

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