❓ Mr. Healy questions the effectiveness of the Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce. The Minister for Police responds by highlighting increased funding, staffing, and significant drug seizures, contrasting the current government's efforts with the previous administration's record.
AnsweredQoN 564Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
METHAMPHETAMINE ACTION
PLAN TASKFORCE
564. Mr T.J. HEALY to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's
commitment to making our community safer by implementing its unprecedented
Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce.
(1) Can the
Minister for Police outline to the house how this government's massive
investment in tackling the scourge of meth has led to record seizures of the
drug?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how Western Australia compares with the rest of the
country?
PLAN TASKFORCE
564. Mr T.J. HEALY to the Minister for Police:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's
commitment to making our community safer by implementing its unprecedented
Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce.
(1) Can the
Minister for Police outline to the house how this government's massive
investment in tackling the scourge of meth has led to record seizures of the
drug?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how Western Australia compares with the rest of the
country?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Southern
River for his question and his strong commitment to community safety. I look
forward to attending a community safety forum in his electorate on 20 August. I
welcome that opportunity to speak with his constituents directly about
community safety within his area. I also note that it was our government that
increased the number of hours Canning Vale Police Station is open to seven o'clock
at night. It no longer closes at four in the afternoon like it used to do under
the former government. In addition, the district is now separated and more
officers are servicing both Gosnells and Canning Vale.
(1)–(2) I
can certainly outline how tackling methamphetamine use has been a key focus for
our government and the Western Australia Police Force. Under our meth action
plan, Western Australia police have received an additional $126 million in
funding. This has enabled WA police to employ an additional 100 officers and an
additional 20 professional staff to help investigate drug importation and
transportation within the community of Western Australia. We have had some very
pleasing results recently. People would be aware that only a year or so ago, we
had the most massive drug bust in the history of the state. More recently, WA
police, with the cooperation of the United States Drug Enforcement
Administration, smashed a local drug ring and seized 75 kilograms of meth and
laid charges against 11 people. That local drug ring was linked to people in
Columbia. We are quite deliberately tackling those people who are importing
very large amounts of drugs into our state. Those kinds of syndicates have been
operating in Western Australia for quite some time.
In July, I understand that officers
from the Western Australia Police Force instigated a joint strike force investigation together with officers from the New
South Wales Police Force's organised crime squad and investigators from
the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the New South Wales Crime Commission.
They intercepted 500 kilograms of methamphetamine worth $400 million. As part
of Strike Force Ferguson, they looked into a shipping container at a container
examination facility in Sydney last month. During a deconstruction of that
consignment, six out of 10 pallets were found to contain 500 packages of a white
crystalline substance. It was determined that it contained 500 kilograms of
methamphetamine and had a street value of between $350 million and $400 million.
I understand that most of that methamphetamine was destined to come to Western Australia.
These are the kinds of results that
we are achieving because of the extra resources that the McGowan government has
given the Western Australia Police Force. This has been demonstrated again
today in the ''Illicit Drug Data Report 2017–18'' published by
the ACIC. It confirms the excellent work of the WA police , who are
leading the way in meth enforcement. They have charged more people and seized
massive quantities of drugs that do immeasurable harm in the community. This
contrasts very strongly of course with the massive escalation of drugs in our
community over the term of the previous government when the Leader of the
Opposition was the police minister. We have targeted this area. We have
acknowledged that methamphetamine is an issue in the community. We saw its
usage double during the term of the previous government and we are determined
to drive it down. Our police are doing an excellent job.
River for his question and his strong commitment to community safety. I look
forward to attending a community safety forum in his electorate on 20 August. I
welcome that opportunity to speak with his constituents directly about
community safety within his area. I also note that it was our government that
increased the number of hours Canning Vale Police Station is open to seven o'clock
at night. It no longer closes at four in the afternoon like it used to do under
the former government. In addition, the district is now separated and more
officers are servicing both Gosnells and Canning Vale.
(1)–(2) I
can certainly outline how tackling methamphetamine use has been a key focus for
our government and the Western Australia Police Force. Under our meth action
plan, Western Australia police have received an additional $126 million in
funding. This has enabled WA police to employ an additional 100 officers and an
additional 20 professional staff to help investigate drug importation and
transportation within the community of Western Australia. We have had some very
pleasing results recently. People would be aware that only a year or so ago, we
had the most massive drug bust in the history of the state. More recently, WA
police, with the cooperation of the United States Drug Enforcement
Administration, smashed a local drug ring and seized 75 kilograms of meth and
laid charges against 11 people. That local drug ring was linked to people in
Columbia. We are quite deliberately tackling those people who are importing
very large amounts of drugs into our state. Those kinds of syndicates have been
operating in Western Australia for quite some time.
In July, I understand that officers
from the Western Australia Police Force instigated a joint strike force investigation together with officers from the New
South Wales Police Force's organised crime squad and investigators from
the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and the New South Wales Crime Commission.
They intercepted 500 kilograms of methamphetamine worth $400 million. As part
of Strike Force Ferguson, they looked into a shipping container at a container
examination facility in Sydney last month. During a deconstruction of that
consignment, six out of 10 pallets were found to contain 500 packages of a white
crystalline substance. It was determined that it contained 500 kilograms of
methamphetamine and had a street value of between $350 million and $400 million.
I understand that most of that methamphetamine was destined to come to Western Australia.
These are the kinds of results that
we are achieving because of the extra resources that the McGowan government has
given the Western Australia Police Force. This has been demonstrated again
today in the ''Illicit Drug Data Report 2017–18'' published by
the ACIC. It confirms the excellent work of the WA police , who are
leading the way in meth enforcement. They have charged more people and seized
massive quantities of drugs that do immeasurable harm in the community. This
contrasts very strongly of course with the massive escalation of drugs in our
community over the term of the previous government when the Leader of the
Opposition was the police minister. We have targeted this area. We have
acknowledged that methamphetamine is an issue in the community. We saw its
usage double during the term of the previous government and we are determined
to drive it down. Our police are doing an excellent job.
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