NSW cabinet’s division on drug reform ‘a good thing’, Premier argues

The Premier has defended his cabinet’s division on drug reforms, after the NSW government’s own addiction experts warned people are dying while ministers play politics.

Premier Dominic Perrottet has revealed his cabinet is “very close” to delivering its findings on drug reform after the state government’s own addiction experts called for urgent action.

Mr Perrottet accepted that there was division in his cabinet on the issue of more lenient legal action against people caught with small amounts of drugs but said a difference of opinion was a good thing.

“We’ve spent a lot of time working through all of the recommendations from the ice inquiry … It is only natural that you would have a situation where different ministers have different views in relation to some of those challenging and difficult issues,” he said.

“I’ve always found it difficult to understand that there are concerns about diverging views around cabinet in relation to issues we deal with – that is a good thing.”

All of the state’s six professors of addiction medicine have written an unprecedented joint letter to Premier Dominic Perrottet calling for urgent action on legislating for users caught with small amounts of drugs for personal use to be forced to seek treatment instead of facing court.

Premier Dominic Perrottet is under pressure from experts to bring in drug law reforms. Picture NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard

“Further delays are costing lives for people in NSW and contributing to considerable health social and economic harms in our community,” the letter, obtained by The Daily Telegraph, states.

The specialists said they are “bitterly disappointed” that nothing has yet come out of the government’s $10.8 million Special Commission Of Inquiry Into The Drug Ice which recommended a legislated police diversion scheme for personal drug use together with more resources for specialist drug assessment and treatment services.

The premier and Attorney-General Mark Speakman have voiced support for the scheme in which offenders caught with small amounts of drugs including ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, ice and ketamine would be given two chances to get treatment before facing the courts.

But last week, Mr Speakman’s latest proposal for reforms was knocked back in cabinet where some ministers were afraid of being seen to be “decriminalising” drugs.

Mr Speakman’s proposed changes included a “compromise” to keep existing penalties in place for the bush while trialling diversion schemes for drug users in the city with police given the discretion to issuing up to two infringement notices with penalties of $400 with the payments waived if the offender gets treatment.

Mr Speakman has earlier told The Daily Telegraph that the current criminal justice response is not stopping drug abuse and tackling addiction.

(File image) Amphetamines charges rose by more than 10 per cent between 2017 and 2021.

The letter from the six experts, who all gave evidence to the ice inquiry, said the drug problem was worse since the 2020 release of the report.

Criminal charges related to amphetamines had risen by 10.5 per cent from 2017 to 2021 and cocaine charges by 14.2 per cent.

“To me it seems that the politicians are playing political games while people are dying and people are suffering,” said Professor Nicholas Lintzeris, the past Chief Addiction Medicine Specialist for NSW Health.

Associate Professor Nicholas Lintzeris a former Chief Addiction Medicine Specialist for NSW Health. Picture: John Appleyard

Professor Paul Haber, Clinical Director of Drug Health Services at the Sydney Local Health District and one of the six cosignatories.

The six experts work across the public and private sector in hospitals including St Vincent’s and the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and across local health districts.

As well as Professor Lintzeris, they are Professor Paul Haber, Professor Adrian Dunlop, Professor Katherine Conigrave, Professor Abdullah Demirkol and Professor Nadine Ezard.

The proposals would expand the current system of fines handed out at music festivals for possessing small quantities of drugs and build on the state’s Cannabis Cautioning Scheme which, since 2000, has given police the discretion to formally caution adults detected for minor cannabis offences rather than charge them.

The government’s response to the letter came on Sunday from Mr Speakman.

“The use of illicit drugs is a continuing scourge on our communities, causing serious health and community safety issues across NSW,” Mr Speakman said.

“The NSW Government’s response to the Ice Inquiry remains under active consideration.”