Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 13 Hansard (9 December) . . Page.. 4174 ..

MR KAINE (continuing):

People talk about the slippery slope. It was quoted in the debate the other day that the police would act responsibly. "After all", we were told, "they acted responsibly in terms of the needle exchange program". What was meant by that was that they ignored the activity taking place in the so-called needle exchange program. We then used that as justification for going this next step. We have an injecting room and "police will act reasonably". They will ignore the activity in the injecting place. What is next?

I would almost bet that before the year 2000 is over somebody will come into this place with yet another Act, another Bill, that says, "We will decriminalise the whole question of illegal use of heroin within a precinct around this so-called safe injecting house". Take it from me, that will be the next step and then we will be told again, "We know the police will act reasonably because they ignored the needle exchange program". And then, "They ignored the injecting place"; and, of course they will act reasonably and "ignore the illegality of taking that next step". If that is not the slippery slide, I do not know what is.

Mr Wood said, "This is not the answer". He is dead right; it is not the answer. I am not even sure it is part of the answer. The law we are asked to pass tonight makes no reference to any of the other elements of a strategy that might satisfy Mr Wood, because it is more comprehensive than just this one thing. Where is it? Where is the provision in here for detox? Where is the provision for things he mentioned?

Mr Moore: Tabled in the Assembly.

MR KAINE: That is not the law. That is just your smart trick to convince people that you are doing the right thing.

Mr Moore: Everything has to be the law.

MR KAINE: There is nothing legal about it and there is no legislative backing behind it.

Mr Smyth: It has the full weight of government policy.

MR KAINE: I have to say that my faith in people in this place has been somewhat shattered. I do not say that the words in there mean anything. So where is the requirement for detox? Where are the requirements for the support system? Where is the requirement for rehabilitation programs? Why are not those requirements in this law we are being asked to pass tonight?

Mr Moore: Because they are administrative - - -

MR KAINE: Because people have not got the backbone to stand up and say, "We are not only going to put in this phoney trial, but we are actually going to really try to deal with the problem of drugs and we are going to set in place the whole strategy". That piece of paper is the second of so-called strategies, the first one of which dates back two years. And what have we actually achieved, Mr Moore? We have just written another strategy. I did not see too many results from the first one. I do not see too many results from this one.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .