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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-06-04 Daily Xml
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DRUGS, SUPPLY

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS (15:13): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Leader of the Government a question on the subject of heroin death fears for club ravers.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.I. LUCAS: An article in this morning's newspaper, under the heading 'Heroin death fears for club ravers', claimed:

Adelaide is being flooded with dangerous heroin-laced ecstasy pills for the first time, sparking fears of drug overdoses, deaths and addiction. Legal sources had told The Advertiser batches of 'afghani brown' pills are being sold in the lead-up to three major dance and rave events over the next month, including two this weekend. Dealers are selling them in 10-packs for as little as $150...'A warning needs to be out there because there are a heap of rave parties coming up in Adelaide. The drugs have been here for the past two or three weeks and we need to stop these kids from killing themselves,' one source, who did not wish to be named, said. 'The afghani browns, or brown-speckled pills, contain brown heroin produced from opium in Afghanistan and it's a great danger to those who take it, especially smaller females.'

Matt Williams, the writer of the article, then notes:

Legislation introduced three months ago, which gives police the power to use sniffer dogs to search people at entertainment venues, is yet to pass state parliament.

As both you and the minister would be aware, Mr President, that legislation has been delayed almost two years since questions were first raised about Molly, Jay and Hooch and when they would be able to undertake the work for which they had been trained back in the middle of 2006. My questions to the police minister are:

1. What police advice has he received in relation to concerns about heroin laced ecstasy being made available in nightclubs and at rave parties here in Adelaide?

2. Does he share the concerns being expressed by the quoted legal sources in The Advertiser this morning about the potential impact on young people and others who use the heroin laced ecstasy currently being sold?

3. Does he now finally accept personal responsibility for the two-year delay in introducing and implementing the legislation, which would have allowed Molly, Jay and Hooch to actually be out there this weekend at those rave parties checking for the availability of this sort of heroin laced ecstasy in these clubs and parties, and which has reduced the chances of police cracking down on these drug dealers operating in clubs and rave parties as described in this morning's newspaper?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Police, Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning) (15:17): What an extraordinary last question that was!

The Hon. R.I. Lucas: You are the minister, and it has been two years.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: Yes. In every other parliament in this country there is a tradition where the government is in control of business. This is one of the few parliaments in the world where government business is consistently taken out of the hands of the government by a majority of members of this council. We have seen an unprecedented number of examples over the past few weeks where government business has been taken out of the hands of the government by the opposition and other members combined. It is absolutely outrageous in that situation that the Hon. Rob Lucas should be accusing this government of delaying legislation. Everybody who has looked at this place in the past few years, particularly the past few weeks, knows what has happened to the government's legislative program. It is not just that piece of legislation relating to the PAD dogs but also some other significant pieces of legislation have been held up in this place.

It was not me who voted against the extension of this parliament two or three weeks ago to sit for extra time to deal with the government's priority legislation. Members did not want to sit on Friday or the following week. It ill behoves the Hon. Mr Lucas to try to get me personally to accept responsibility for this legislation.

In relation to this bill, we had almost finalised consideration of it in this place, but if I recall correctly there were some issues that the Leader of the Opposition wished to check on in relation to one of the amendments, which was reasonable. Where we have almost completed debate on that bill, we could have finished off on that day, but after discussion with the Leader of the Opposition we deferred it. It was a reasonable request because we have to get legislation right, and there was an issue in relation to one particular clause that warranted further consideration.

It would certainly be my wish that if we can finally get this parliament to complete debate on the WorkCover bills, which we now know will happen this week one way or the other, however late in the week, then the PAD dog legislation, the Controlled Substances (Drug Detection Powers) Amendment Bill, needs to be passed. It ill behoves members opposite to take control. It is their decision to take control of the business of the council over the government. That is fine, but they cannot then turn around and blame the government for not having legislation passed, and we will not accept that.

In relation to the other matters, I read that article this morning. I will be having my weekly meeting with the Police Commissioner later this afternoon (if I break out of here). Having read that article in the paper, I intended to raise that issue with him. To date, I am not aware of any information about that issue other than what was in the paper this morning. However, I will obtain a briefing from the Commissioner later on today in relation to that.

Do I share the concerns about its potential impact? Of course I do. These rave parties are dangerous. It is interesting that what that article talks about is that heroin is again being used as a drug, and I guess that is what happens with these illicit drugs: as the police get on top of one drug—as technology or a concerted effort reduces the incidence of one drug—other drugs rise in their place. I think the lesson from that is that we have to be totally vigilant in the fight against drugs, because as we get on top of one issue another will arise.

The Minister for Mental Health and Substance Abuse might be able to confirm this, but at our meeting of the ministerial council on drug abuse some weeks ago there were some indications, I believe from Sydney and Melbourne, that heroin was making its presence felt in those areas. That is the useful thing about those conferences. That related to the eastern states, but I have not had any information about it being mixed with other types of drugs here.

However, clearly, if one makes headway and achieves success in dealing with the precursor drugs that are used to make methamphetamines and other drugs, such as cannabis, you tend to get a breakout in other drugs. Obviously, that depends on world supply. That is why we need intelligence from the police (and intelligence from the opposition, too, but we do not get a lot). We need effective intelligence to know what is happening within the drug scene. Of course this government shares concerns about any outbreak of drug use, and I am sure the police will be paying close attention to these events.

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