MPs a no show at drug reform launch

MPs a no show at drug reform launch
Image: The Australia21 report aims to decriminalise drugs in an attempt to reduce the amount of drug related deaths. Credit: Flickr User

BY JESSICA HILL

Prominent supporters of drug law reform in Australia are unconvinced the NSW Government will implement recommendations from the Australia21 report published on Monday 20 March.

The ‘Can Australia respond to drugs more effectively and safely?’ report is being hailed as the first of its kind due to the reports’ backing by prominent Australian lawmakers and enforcers.

Gino Vumbaca, President of Harm Reduction Australia, said it’s not likely the government will implement the recommendations.

“What was concerning for most of us who were at the launch yesterday at Parliament House was that there was only one sitting MP there,” he said.

Mr Vumbaca said this was despite the attendance of former Premier of NSW, Bob Carr, former Premier of Victoria, Jeff Kennett, former police commissioners and senior judges.

“So that gives you an insight into how front of mind or not this issue is,” he said.

Dr Mary Ellen Harrod, CEO of the NSW Users and Aids Association is also sceptical of how the government will respond to the report.

“Victoria doesn’t have a conservative government in place and they just made a devastatingly disappointing decision to not implement a safe injecting facility in Melbourne.

“You have probably the most left leaning state in Australia making what can only be described as a very bad policy decision with no regard for the people who are actually dying.

“I think it will happen when we have some people with political courage and are willing to stand by what is clearly right, which is reducing harm and saving lives,” she said.

Dr Alex Wodak, former Director of the Alcohol and Drug Service at St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney and current President of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation, said although the report is missing political take up there is still hope for drug reform in Australia.

“It’s going to be more and more difficult to ignore reports like this with Mr Ginos and Mr Carr having both praised the quality of the report.

“Governments sometimes do things unexpectedly and the Turnbull government is not travelling well in terms of opinion polls and they might realise that if they did some of these things that we talk about in the report… they would get a lot of kudos for that, which they need to do.

“It’s hard to ever know what’s going to happen in politics and sometimes there’s a huge unpredictability factor, let’s hope they decide that now is the time,” he said.

Mr Vumbaca said the push for drug reform would continue.

“If you know what you’re doing can benefit the community and society as a whole, you don’t stop because politicians of the day are not listening,” he said.

 

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