Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .
Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 13 Hansard (9 December) . . Page.. 4202 ..
MR SMYTH (continuing):
Australian Federal Police ACT Region Drug Strategy ACT
Community Crime Prevention Strategy
ACT Youth Health Policy
ACT Health Promotion Policy and Strategic Plan
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan
ACT Sexual Health and Blood Borne Diseases Strategic Plan
ACT Whole of Territory Mental Health Strategic Plan
ACT Drugs in Sports Policy
Department of Education and Community Services Draft Education
Policy Framework for ACT Government Schools
ACT Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy
Draft ACT Sexual Assault Services Strategic Plan
Department of Health and Community Care Dual Diagnosis Project
Department of Health and Community Care Policy on the Use and
Misuse of Benzodiazepines
Memorandum of Understanding between Department of Education
and Community Services and Department of Health and
Community Care on Health Promoting Schools
ACT Road Safety Strategy
Australian Capital Cities Resolution on Drugs
It is important that everybody knows that across-the-board, in all portfolios, this Government is committed to drug reduction. We are committed to reducing the incidence of drug use in our society because we believe that it is important to reduce it.
Mr Hird said that the police do not want it to happen. The defence is that policemen do not want it to happen; therefore, it should not happen. I am very lucky to be the ACT Government's representative on the Capital City Lord Mayors Committee. At our recent meeting in Melbourne, Neil Comrie, the Commissioner of the Victoria Police, a third generation Victorian walloper, got up and said, "I was wrong. I used to think that we should lock them all up because that was the answer. It is not the answer". That day the Melbourne City Council announced that it would institute recovery rooms, which I think are in some way similar to what we are doing here. But there we had a man with eminent qualifications as a police officer saying that he cannot stop it happening. (Extension of time granted)
It is important that we put aside personal feelings and fears and it is important that we get a little bit emotional about this subject, because it is an emotional subject. When we get through that emotion and the harsh light of reality comes up with a response that we are uncomfortable with, we should not necessarily reject it. We know that it is the right response, but we can still feel uncomfortable with things. That should not stop us. I am not comfortable with the alternatives if we do not go ahead with this proposal.
What are the alternatives? The alternatives are that more Canberrans will die. The alternatives are that Canberrans will continue to take heroin on the streets, without any need to be exposed to the range of services and counselling that we can provide to help them. If it means that we will stop more Canberrans from being infected with HIV and hepatitis A and C, we as legislators must take advantage of that opportunity. We need to put aside personal discomfort and any fears that we have about this matter. Sometimes it
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .