Page 1431 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 6 May 2015
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My point in bringing this motion to the Assembly today is to highlight the nature of the problem. It is a significant problem and it is a growing problem. The government’s response needs to be multifaceted. It cannot just be law and order; it cannot just be help: it needs to be coordinated and it needs to be whole of government. I am glad to see the Chief Minister is responding to this, and hopefully he acknowledges the requirement for that whole-of-government response. We need to know what the strategy is. We need to know how it is synchronised within the ACT so that community providers know exactly what is going on, along with government agencies. We need to know how it is synchronised and coordinated with New South Wales, given that we are an island within New South Wales, and coordinated with the federal government.
My motion calls on the government to develop that strategy. I am sure much of that work is being done already, but it needs to be put together as a strategy; it cannot just be piecemeal. It needs to be coordinated and it needs to be made available to the community so that everybody understands what is going on.
MR BARR (Molonglo—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Economic Development, Minister for Urban Renewal and Minister for Tourism and Events) (4.39): I thank Mr Hanson for raising this matter today. As his motion acknowledges, this is a national problem and one that is already being addressed through the National Ice Taskforce established by the Prime Minister, with the support of all state and territory leaders. The task force is an important and timely response. At the Council of Australian Governments meeting last month, we heard how ice is affecting communities, from the largest of our cities to the most remote parts of our country.
I have amendments to Mr Hanson’s motion that are intended to better capture the important work that is already underway in the territory. I move:
(1) After paragraph (1)(i), insert:
“(j) the ACT Government invests approximately $16.4 million annually in treatment and support services (residential and non-residential rehabilitation programs, withdrawal management, counselling, information and education, support and case management, pharmacotherapy, sobering up shelter and drug diversion program) and the Commonwealth approximately $3 million in the ACT.”.
(2) Omit paragraph (2), substitute:
“(2) calls on the Government to maintain its support for a national approach to tackle ice, and use the findings and actions from the National Ice Taskforce and the recently announced Victorian Ice Action Plan to ensure a coordinated and comprehensive response to ice use in the ACT.”.
The government also considers it necessary to closely align with the national response as agreed by COAG, as well as benefit from the rollout of Victoria’s recently announced ice action plan, to ensure, as Mr Hanson alluded to, that our efforts are effective and coordinated. Assembling a response to an arbitrary deadline without
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