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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 1 Hansard (17 February) . . Page.. 308 ..

MR STANHOPE (continuing):

At 5.00 pm the proceedings were interrupted in accordance with standing order 34; the motion for the adjournment of the Assembly having been put and negatived, the debate was resumed.

MR STANHOPE: I will conclude on that point. There is now a syringe disposal unit in the Labor Club. There are now syringe disposal units in the Casino. I have no doubt there are syringe disposal units in other licensed premises around town and I applaud that. I look forward to the day when responsible licensees and occupants of premises around town acknowledge that we have a significant public safety and health issue here and act to protect their workers and people that frequent those premises.

The Government could have provided us with some information on the number of syringes, for instance, taken from the Casino - give us some idea of whether people do utilise these premises. We have always pursued drug related issues on the catchcry: "What does the evidence say?", and the Labor Party for one is not walking away from that catchcry. That is why we supported the drug injecting place and all those trials into different arrangements - methadone, vibramorphine - to get the evidence. In this instance, we are walking away from that. We are dividing the community, we have alienated one section of it, and it will not be productive.

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: The question is that the motion be agreed to.

MR STANHOPE: I should just conclude by actually acknowledging - - -

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

MR STANHOPE: We know Mr Humphries supports syringe disposal units in public toilets - - -

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order!

MR STANHOPE: We learnt through the drug injecting - - -

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: The Leader of the Opposition! Order!

MR STANHOPE: But that is the only place - - -

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will come to order.

MR STANHOPE: That is what he thinks about public safety - - -

MR TEMPORARY DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! The Leader of the Opposition will resume his seat.

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