ACT Government endorses drug decriminalisation bill
The ACT Government has taken the next step towards decriminalising personal possession of illicit drugs including meth, cocaine and heroin. Find out what happened.
The ACT Legislative Assembly has taken the next step towards decriminalising the possession of small quantities of illicit drugs.
Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith tabled the government response to the inquiry into the Drugs Of Dependence (Personal Use) Amendment Bill 2021 on Thursday, signalling the government’s support of the bill.
The private member’s bill was brought to the Assembly by Labor backbencher Michael Pettersson in February last year and aims to decriminalise the small quantities of drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin.
The government’s response to the bill, which included technical amendments, passed in the assembly following spirited debate in the chamber.
Greens MLA Johnathan Davis told the Assembly “the war on drugs is over”.
“The decriminalisation of drug use is the most important legislative change that we can make to reduce the harm of drugs in our community,” Mr Davis said.
“If done well, this reform will improve the day to day lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our community and will set an extremely important precedent across the country for treating substance dependency as a health issue.”
Mr Davis said the issue was particularly important to him as someone who has cared for a loved one with a problematic relationship to drugs.
But the government’s response to the bill was not welcomed by everyone, with Liberal MLA Jeremy Hanson emerging as a loud voice against the proposed legislation, raising concerns the territory could become a hotspot for “narcotic tourism”.
Jeremy Hanson ( @CanberraLibs ) outlines his concerns about drug decriminalisation #actpolpic.twitter.com/zSUmoyv8T6
— Julia Kanapathippillai (@JuliaPillai) June 9, 2022
Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly Mr Hanson outlined his concerns with drug decriminalisation.
“We’ve been listening to what the Australian Federal Police Commissioner has been saying and what the NSW police have been saying - that this will make society more dangerous,” he said.
“It's going to create a whole bunch of bad outcomes for society and for drug users.
“We don’t think this is a good law, we don’t think that decriminalising meth ice and heroin is the right way to go.”
Mr Hanson said criminalisation of illicit drugs assisted in pushing people to seek help for substance abuse.
“People who are addicted to heroin, ice and drugs like that, they’re not willingly going to some of those services,” he said.
“Sometimes it needs to be coercive, sometimes you’ve got to have that legal instrument, the criminalisation threat to say we’re going to make you go to those services.
“If you've dealt with people who’ve got those addictions it’s terrible; people are terribly affected by it.”
Ms Stephen-Smith said the move towards decriminalisation should not be seen as the government giving the green light to drug use.
“We’re not sending the message that drug use is safe,” she said.
“We know criminalising drug users does not reduce drug use, it only creates further harm for some of the most vulnerable people in our community.”
ACT Health Minister @RachelSS_MLA speaks on the ACT’s move to decriminalise the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs pic.twitter.com/phzaiz2u1S
— Julia Kanapathippillai (@JuliaPillai) June 9, 2022
Ms Stephen Smith took the opportunity to speak out against Mr Hanson’s comments.
“It’s really disappointing to see that the Canberra Liberals are already starting a scare campaign around this bill,” she said.
“I hope that Mr Hanson had a conversation with his leader (Elizabeth Lee) before he made those very inflammatory statements in the chamber today.
“Ms Lee has gone to pains to try to express to the Canberra Community that the Canberra Liberals have changed and that they’re becoming a more progressive party but Mr Hanson’s comments today absolutely give the lie to that.”
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