Page 2917 - Week 09 - Thursday, 13 August 2015
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Of course, part of my purpose in standing tonight is also to address questions raised during the debate. Mr Wall in his remarks particularly has raised a number of questions. We have heard the commentary about the mixed messages when it comes to things like the needle and syringe program. I have said it before and I say it again: this government is committed to a three-pronged approach to dealing with issues like drugs in our jail.
The first of those three prongs is reducing supply by various interdiction measures—the seizing of contraband, physical searches, intelligence-led work to reduce the amount of contraband coming into the jail. Clearly, drugs are a key element of that.
The second element is to reduce demand so that people are not seeking drugs, are not undertaking drug-seeking behaviour. Members will be aware of the range of programs at the AMC designed to assist detainees to break their drug-taking habits, to deal with some of their, I guess, life issues that led them to pursuing drugs. There are a range of programs there. If members are interested in the detail—I cannot do it in the time available to me—I am more than happy to arrange for a Corrective Services official to run members through that.
The third element is harm minimisation, acknowledging that, unfortunately, some people will undertake behaviour that the rest of us do not support, consider inappropriate and would prefer not to happen. That is where something like the needle and syringe program comes in so that we tackle the transmission of blood-borne viruses in the jail.
Those three strategies together will achieve the sorts of outcomes we would all agree with—minimising the transmission of blood-borne viruses and reducing the amount of drug taking going on in the jail.
I should at this point be very clear that the ACT government is committed to having a smoking ban in adult correctional facilities. We have been very clear about that. I have reiterated that this week, and I can assure members that work is underway within Corrective Services to bring that into effect. One of the good things is that a number of other jurisdictions have already moved and we have been able to observe very closely what they have done that has worked well and areas, frankly, where, in light of their experiences, we might do things a little differently. But I can assure members that the government remains committed to a smoking ban, and I will be able to make an announcement on the time frame for that once some of that further policy work has been done by Corrective Services.
Finally, let me address the issue Mr Wall has raised, the discussion about whether corrections officers should be drug tested. I would like to understand what the purpose of that is. One might speculate a range of reasons. Mr Wall did not articulate those reasons earlier in the discussion. I am unclear what the agenda is there.
At 6 pm, in accordance with standing order 34, the debate was interrupted. The motion for the adjournment of the Assembly having been put and negatived, the debate was resumed.
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