Page 3735 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 27 August 2008
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DR FOSKEY (Molonglo) (11.04): Mr Mulcahy told me last week that I would not be supporting this bill. I would like to surprise him, but I will not be supporting this bill. Nonetheless, I would like Mr Mulcahy to pay some attention to my arguments because, like the government, I do see some value in the points that he is putting forward. I believe, as I indicated last night, that we could actually do something about the promotion of such equipment.
Rather than mount an exhaustive argument myself, I thought I would have a look at what some of the people that are closer to this issue are saying. Therefore, I am going to quote a thread from the RiotACT website.
Mr Mulcahy: There’s an authoritative source.
DR FOSKEY: Well, it is a source that we occasionally look at for commentary on our own work. I am sure that other members do this also. Here is a selection of quotations from the RiotACT:
It is with a great deal of amusement that we note an ABC story in which one Richard Mulcahy MLA, formerly of the Tobacco Institute of Australia, is legislating for a ban on the sale of bongs, ice pipes and other drug paraphernalia.
Mr Mulcahy’s comments are then quoted:
Mr Speaker, this bill will not solve all issues related to illicit drugs in our community not even close.
Mr Mulcahy: Who signed off on that?
DR FOSKEY: You. Mr Mulcahy went on to say:
It will however be a step in the right direction and enshrine in legislation the principle that the ACT does not believe that we should facilitate the use of illegal drugs.
And the comment on that is:
Because if people are smoking this stuff anyway do you want them doing it with well constructed gear? Or something they’ve lashed together out of hoses and tin foil?
Then there are comments about:
1. Oh great, time to disconnect the garden hose from the tap in the front yard.
2. Quick lets also not provide clean needles because our ideology is in conflict with practicality.
3. Is he going to stop Bunnings from selling plumbing supplies and increase numbers of ACT policing so that they can respond every time someone steals 2 inches off my garden hose?
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