State Ice Taskforce

The Hon. J.S.L. DAWKINS (14:58): Further supplementary: will the information from other jurisdictions in relation to specific community actions that the minister referred to be made available to South Australia and communities that are seeking to work with the government to tackle the ice issue?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:58): I thank the honourable member for his question. We are seeking to draw on the experience, as I said, from other parts of the country and other experienced community members. We do know that there is a concern that many regional communities are being disproportionately represented when it comes to ice use. However, I will say this: it is clear, in a way that radically and quickly cuts through any stereotype, that this drug does not discriminate in terms of who it affects.

We have heard from people who are welfare dependent just as much as we have heard from people who are employed; working class, middle class; tertiary educated, not educated at all; regional, city; male, female; young, old. It really doesn't make a difference what demographic you come from, this drug has been particularly pervasive, not necessarily just attacking one particular cohort or one particular demographic of our community. It is far more widespread than that.

That said, we do know that in some regional communities there is an over-representation of people who are consuming ice. That has come through loud and clear and it is evidenced by some research. Naturally, in the light of that, we are looking at the experiences of other regional centres. There will be a public policy announcement. When we make our announcement, which will be on the back of the consultation that we have conducted, we will make that information public and seek to share it as is appropriate.