SA Liberal State Council votes down pill testing motion

A narrow vote at the Liberal’s state council has seen the party reject a motion calling for pill testing at music festivals, in a move that would have put pressure on the government to reverse its opposition. Right move? TAKE OUR POLL.

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A push for the State Government to reverse its position and allow pill testing at music festivals has been narrowly defeated at a meeting of the Liberal Party’s state council.

The motion, raised by party vice president and Kapunda GP Max van Dissel, was defeated 56 votes to 54 at a meeting on Friday evening.

The motion called, seen by the Sunday Mail, called on the State Government to “implement pill testing at music festivals”.

Although motions passed by state council are not binding, its success would have placed pressure on both Premier Steven Marshall and Health Minister Stephen Wade who have repeatedly rejected any need for the controversial practice.

Mr van Dissel did not comment today and calls to Liberal Party state director Sascha Meldrum went unanswered.

Despite the close result, Mr Wade said state council had endorsed the Government’s “scepticism on pill testing”.

“On the evidence before us we think pill testing fosters a false sense of security and sends the wrong message about illicit drugs,” he said.

Minister for Health and Wellbeing Stephen Wade. Picture: Matt Turner

Eudunda and Kapunda GP Doctor Max van Dissel. Picture: Dean Martin

Pill testing is also opposed by the Labor Party, although a motion calling for the policy to be investigated by its internal platform committee was passed at its state conference in October last year.

Labor frontbencher Nat Cook — whose 17-year-old son Sam Davis was killed in an alcohol fuelled assault in 2008 — told the conference young people were “hardwired to take risks” and pill testing would reduce the chance of them becoming a statistic, likening the technology to airbags in cars.