❓ Mr. Scaife questions the Minister for Police on how the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Bill 2023 will disrupt organised crime and build on COVID-19 safety measures. The Minister details the bill's search powers at entry points, limitations, and oversight mechanisms, aiming to replicate the success of 2020 border controls in reducing drug flow and crime.
AnsweredQoN 212Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MISUSE OF DRUGS AMENDMENT BILL 2023
212. Mr D.A.E. SCAIFE to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to disrupting organised crime.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house on how this government's new anti-drug laws
will continue to disrupt and dismantle organised crime in Western Australia?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how these laws build on the McGowan Labor government's
success in keeping the community safe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?
212. Mr D.A.E. SCAIFE to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to disrupting organised crime.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house on how this government's new anti-drug laws
will continue to disrupt and dismantle organised crime in Western Australia?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how these laws build on the McGowan Labor government's
success in keeping the community safe throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for his question
and for the support of his local police, which I witnessed when we visited
Cockburn Police Station recently.
(1)–(2) We are addressing the incredible contradiction
that has mostly been present in Western Australia whereby, as identified by the Premier, police can search
someone coming into Western Australia for a banana or a pear or an
apple, but they cannot search for methamphetamine, cocaine or heroin. That has
been pretty much the case in most recent times, with the exception of 2020,
which was a time when we had strong border controls. We had police officers
greeting every arrival, pretty much. With those arrivals knowing that they
could be searched, the consequence was a massive impact on meth flow into Western
Australia. That was proven by sewage testing, which showed a 51 per cent drop
in meth use across the metro area, a more than a 70 per cent drop in Albany and
more than a 60 per cent drop in Geraldton. Not only are these extraordinary
outcomes, but also there was a commensurate drop in crime. Crime dropped by
more than 40 per cent across the state, which is incredible. It had an
incredible impact on large volume crime against property and there were very positive consequences as a result of the
search powers that were in place then.
We will create 22 search areas at all
the major entry points to the state—road, rail, sea and air—to
enable police to threaten to have a search at any time because the border
search areas will be enacted, but they will be activated based on intelligence,
as necessary, which will lead to a senior officer authorising use of the search
area, with a very strong focus on intercepting particularly meth, but also
other illicit drugs coming into the state. There will be a lot of limitations
on the powers. They will not be in public places; they will be very constrained
areas, and that will be defined in the act. There will even be aerial pictures
of the search areas. The powers will not be able to be exercised in regard to
persons engaging in exempt activities like political demonstrations, religious
or cultural activities and medical emergencies. There will be Corruption and Crime Commission oversight, a statutory review
and a sunset clause after five years if
it does not work. But the primary objective is to try to replicate what
happened in 2020—to give our police powers to disrupt the evil activities of organised criminals. From
overseas and interstate, that is represented by the activities of mafia,
cartels, triads and other organised criminals who bring this stuff into the
nation and into Western Australia and then it is distributed here by outlaw
motorcycle gangs predominantly. Therefore, this is all about focusing on
disrupting that behaviour, reducing the flow of meth in particular into the
state, reducing crime and making the community safer.
and for the support of his local police, which I witnessed when we visited
Cockburn Police Station recently.
(1)–(2) We are addressing the incredible contradiction
that has mostly been present in Western Australia whereby, as identified by the Premier, police can search
someone coming into Western Australia for a banana or a pear or an
apple, but they cannot search for methamphetamine, cocaine or heroin. That has
been pretty much the case in most recent times, with the exception of 2020,
which was a time when we had strong border controls. We had police officers
greeting every arrival, pretty much. With those arrivals knowing that they
could be searched, the consequence was a massive impact on meth flow into Western
Australia. That was proven by sewage testing, which showed a 51 per cent drop
in meth use across the metro area, a more than a 70 per cent drop in Albany and
more than a 60 per cent drop in Geraldton. Not only are these extraordinary
outcomes, but also there was a commensurate drop in crime. Crime dropped by
more than 40 per cent across the state, which is incredible. It had an
incredible impact on large volume crime against property and there were very positive consequences as a result of the
search powers that were in place then.
We will create 22 search areas at all
the major entry points to the state—road, rail, sea and air—to
enable police to threaten to have a search at any time because the border
search areas will be enacted, but they will be activated based on intelligence,
as necessary, which will lead to a senior officer authorising use of the search
area, with a very strong focus on intercepting particularly meth, but also
other illicit drugs coming into the state. There will be a lot of limitations
on the powers. They will not be in public places; they will be very constrained
areas, and that will be defined in the act. There will even be aerial pictures
of the search areas. The powers will not be able to be exercised in regard to
persons engaging in exempt activities like political demonstrations, religious
or cultural activities and medical emergencies. There will be Corruption and Crime Commission oversight, a statutory review
and a sunset clause after five years if
it does not work. But the primary objective is to try to replicate what
happened in 2020—to give our police powers to disrupt the evil activities of organised criminals. From
overseas and interstate, that is represented by the activities of mafia,
cartels, triads and other organised criminals who bring this stuff into the
nation and into Western Australia and then it is distributed here by outlaw
motorcycle gangs predominantly. Therefore, this is all about focusing on
disrupting that behaviour, reducing the flow of meth in particular into the
state, reducing crime and making the community safer.
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