Legislative Council - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2017-03-28 Daily Xml

Contents

Medical Cannabis

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:35): My supplementary is: given that the patient pathway is actually a matter for state governments, and as the minister—

The Hon. K.J. Maher: What pathway are you talking about?

The Hon. S.G. WADE: The patient pathways—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Allow the Hon. Mr Wade to finish his question.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: Mr President, if I might be allowed a bit more latitude to perhaps put the question in context. In the context of the minister's responsibility for medicinal cannabis and in the context of SA Health having issued a discussion paper on patient pathway options for South Australia, I ask the minister will he have delegated responsibilities from the Minister for Health or from cabinet to effect the patient pathways being consulted on by the SA Health discussion paper? We just want clarity on the ministerial arrangements.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (14:36): I apologise to the chamber for the honourable member's confusion and confusing the chamber on this question. I think we are all less informed after having listened to his two questions. We are all significantly less informed now. Primary responsibility rests with the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Office of Drug Control. The Department for Health, and I can't remember but I think it was towards the end of last year, issued a discussion paper about how things could be clarified. I will go and check, but I think that's due to report soon and I am happy to inform the member when it does.