Page 1118 - Week 04 - Tuesday, 8 April 2008
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We also needed to see whether or not the processes were efficacious in a court of law. For example, we needed to ensure that the processes employed in taking someone before the courts were sufficient to enable a conviction to be recorded and not to have the case thrown out because of a technicality. I wanted to ensure that. That, in fact, is the bit that has been tested in recent times. I am satisfied now, and I have been satisfied for a little while, but I still wanted to have that information about whether or not the pathology laboratories could be geared up quickly to take the testing and how it would be done.
I expect the discussion paper to be released in early May. I look forward to receiving well-considered comment from the AFP, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Law Society and Bar Association and ACTCOSS. I would also like to see comment from Family and Friends for Drug Law Reform and from the citizens of the ACT. When those comments are received and considered, the government will act on the issue.
I will conclude by making two points. We wanted to see how things would go in the rest of the country. We are satisfied that we now know that. This discussion paper will result in legislation being placed before this place. However, we want to make sure of a number of things before we move forward. We want to make sure that this is a road safety issue and not just some other way of detecting whether people have been using illicit drugs. Also, we want the community to come on board before we enact this legislation.
The taking of a saliva sample from the body of a human being involves an invasive procedure. We need to make sure that the community at large is comfortable with that. We will consult with the community and then introduce the legislation. We are not going to have a good idea in the middle of the night, introduce legislation and then tell the community what they are going to get. It is very important in this particular issue around saving lives and preventing road deaths to make sure that people’s human rights in terms of invasive procedures are protected.
Mr Pratt: Madam Assistant Speaker, could I ask the minister to move that the statement be noted?
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mrs Dunne): Mr Hargreaves, you could assist the chamber by tabling the paper and moving that it be noted.
MR HARGREAVES: Madam Assistant Speaker, I got into some difficulty last time we spoke. I had received such a request from Dr Foskey, you may recall, and I was quite happy to move that a statement be noted, but there was nothing to be noted. If, in the next little while, you want to find out how that obstacle was overcome, we can repeat that process right now. I am happy to do it but I cannot move that the statement be noted because there is nothing to table.
MADAM ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Mr Hargreaves, you could solve the problem by physically tabling the statement that you read from and then moving that it be noted.
MR HARGREAVES: All right. I present the following paper:
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