Joint Committee on the Legalisation of Medicinal Cannabis

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (15:20): My question to the Minister for Industrial Relations is: have you read the report and recommendations of the joint parliamentary select committee into medicinal cannabis, and what leadership role will you and your department play in implementing the recommendations?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:20): I thank the honourable member for her question very much. I have looked at the recommendations that were made. One of my colleagues in this chamber, once the recommendations were published, has helpfully referred me to them. I note that there are a number of recommendations that touch on legal issues that we will look at as the Attorney-General's Department, but I note there are a number of other issues that are much more broad than legal issues and we will, as a government, look at them more broadly.

I do note and appreciate the honourable member's very strong interest and advocacy in this area. I note that under the former Labor government the honourable member was instrumental in legislation that allowed for an industrial hemp industry in South Australia, and was also instrumental in the establishment not just of a medical pathway in South Australia—for which we led the nation for medicinal cannabis—but also, and importantly, what is a growing industry in South Australia in medicinal cannabis and the supply of that form of treatment, which is now legal right across Australia to people in Australia.

I think I have read a report about the potential for an export industry from South Australia in that respect as well, so we will look at it. I have seen the recommendations and we will consider them as a government.