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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 6 Hansard (24 May) . . Page.. 1645 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

some phone calls in relation to the issue of drugs in our community. It is a most serious issue for the whole nation and for many other parts of the world as well. People have been grappling for many years with the best way of overcoming it.

We had a debate on this measure late last year and, like Mr Kaine, I had grave reservations about it. I was one of the members who voted against this trial taking place. My views really have not changed in that regard. There are some real problems there. Members of the community have indicated that one of the big problems is that the heroin brought there is, in fact, coming from the proceeds of crime, a very real issue. Indeed, some members have suggested that perhaps the government should supply the heroin because in that way it would not be coming from the proceeds of crime. It is a very vexed issue and I do not wish to canvass a debate that has occurred already in this place. My views in opposition to this matter are well known. They are on the public record, as are Mr Kaine's views.

Accordingly, it is essential, given that the Assembly has decided to go ahead with this trial, that it be evaluated properly, that there are clear assessment criteria, that the details of any process used for the evaluation are tabled and can be properly scrutinised, that any organisation or individual who actually conducts the assessment of the trial is clearly independent, clearly has no vested interests and can be seen to be such. Any body or individual who assesses this trial also should be seen to be thoroughly professional. I am sure that my colleague the health minister will ensure that that occurs.

Also, this Assembly and the community need to be kept up to date on this issue, because there is some very real, understandable and proper angst in the community about this measure. There is also some very real, proper and understandable angst in the community in Sydney and Melbourne in relation to similar trials. The community is very much divided in its views on this most important issue and it is absolutely essential that any member of this community can be confident that this trial will be treated as such, as a trial, properly run, properly supervised and with a proper, accurate, professional assessment being available for the community to look at and then evaluate whether, in fact, the trial is successful. Indeed, the Assembly can then have a further debate on it and members can look at where to go from there.

I do not profess to being clairvoyant on this issue. I have my opinions about it, but I have no idea what is going to come from this trial. Let us wait and see, but let us give due regard to the very considerable, very real and very proper concerns that are being expressed by so many people in this community about this trial. Therefore, I think that Mr Kaine's motion is not only timely but also worthy of strong support from this place.

Whilst I have very different views from my colleague the health minister on these issues, and I have had for some time, I acknowledge his interest in them. I also acknowledge the way he has gone about them and, very properly and appropriately, he has indicated support for Mr Kaine's motion. That is most proper and appropriate. I commend him for that.

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