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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-11-26 Daily Xml
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DRUG POLICY

The Hon. A. BRESSINGTON (15:58): I rise to clear up a few issues that have been lingering for some time, and I table some documents from the Swedish Institute with statistics on the Swedish drug policy, two letters from the AMA regarding its position on pill testing and also a list of organisations that are supportive of random school drug testing in the United States. I take this opportunity to clear up for any members in here who have any doubt about my qualifications in the drug and alcohol sector that I have had 14 years of continual training and study in that field, ranging from management training right down to training in early childhood development, trauma and abuse and a number of therapies such as acceptance commitment therapy and the emotional freedom technique used in the treatment of addiction.

Over time, some reference has been made in this place by the Hon. Sandra Kanck that it was great that I had a close, personal relationship with some of our clients. I just make the point that I have never had a close, personal relationship with any client. Any relationship I have ever had with a client has always been on a strictly professional basis, and it has been on an effective, practical, professional basis.

I would also like to make the point that, over a period of time, some reference has also been made to the fact that I am an emotive parent, living out my life in grief over the loss of my daughter. I would just like to let members in this place know that I went through my grief process. I did it with professional help and assistance, and it was a healthy process. I do not walk around with any kind of baggage on my back because of the loss of my daughter, and I certainly do not let that loss, tragic as it was, drive my emotional bus through life.

I have many things in my life to be grateful for. I have four healthy children, my youngest being six years old. I have a happy marriage and relationship. I have a good life, and I have an opportunity now to extend my life experiences as a member of parliament representing the interests of those I am here to serve, including drug addicts who want to stop using drugs; parents who want to support their children to stop using drugs; and also grandparents who want to support their children—grandparents who are now raising their grandchildren because of drug-affected behaviour.

I did not really want this matters of interest debate to be all about me. I do not imagine that many people are as interested in me as I am, and I accept that. However, there are a few things I need to set straight. I also want to make sure that members in this place know that when I introduce legislation in this place it is always based on sound research. I always present sound and credible research in my contributions to the debates on those topics. I do not feel there is a conspiracy against me. I understand that there are always differing points of view and that a healthy democratic process allows those points of view to be expressed. It does not mean that I have to agree with them, but that is the way this place runs, and I respect that immensely.

What I do want to say is that I am concerned that there are critics who distort Sweden's comprehensive drug death data and portray it as only encompassing overdose deaths. In actual fact, Swedish statistics include any early death or unexpected death. Where drugs are detected in a body post mortem, it is classed as a drug-related death. So, deaths that are quoted for Sweden as overdose deaths are not necessarily accurate, and Sweden does have the best record for a low level of drug deaths.

Time expired.

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