Opposition questions the Premier about the release of a report on cannabis decriminalisation, suggesting the government is hiding something. The Premier denies misrepresentation and assures transparency.

AnsweredQoN 864Legislative Assembly
Asked
28 March 2002
Member
Portfolio
Premier

QuestionView source ↗

I refer to the comments made by the Minister for Health to the effect that he will release only the recommendations of the ministerial working group into the decriminalisation of cannabis and ask - (1) Is the Government concerned about making the full report public because it condemns Labor’s plans to decriminalise the cultivation of cannabis? (2) Will the Premier ensure that the full report is tabled in this Parliament, and if not, what is he trying to hide? Dr GALLOP

AnswerView source ↗

(1)-(2) The comments of the Minister for Health on this matter have been misrepresented. He has not received the report; it has not even gone to Cabinet. The Government of Western Australia has been so open and accountable about this issue, that it organised a completely transparent drug summit to deal with it. I cannot see that there would be any difficulties whatsoever in making the report public. The Minister for Health was only saying that he had not yet received the report, and it has not yet gone to Cabinet, so he was not in a position to comment on it. That is a long way from saying that the Government will not release the report to the public.
(1) Is the Government concerned about making the full report public because it condemns Labor’s plans to decriminalise the cultivation of cannabis? (2) Will the Premier ensure that the full report is tabled in this Parliament, and if not, what is he trying to hide? Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) The comments of the Minister for Health on this matter have been misrepresented. He has not received the report; it has not even gone to Cabinet. The Government of Western Australia has been so open and accountable about this issue, that it organised a completely transparent drug summit to deal with it. I cannot see that there would be any difficulties whatsoever in making the report public. The Minister for Health was only saying that he had not yet received the report, and it has not yet gone to Cabinet, so he was not in a position to comment on it. That is a long way from saying that the Government will not release the report to the public.
(2) Will the Premier ensure that the full report is tabled in this Parliament, and if not, what is he trying to hide? Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) The comments of the Minister for Health on this matter have been misrepresented. He has not received the report; it has not even gone to Cabinet. The Government of Western Australia has been so open and accountable about this issue, that it organised a completely transparent drug summit to deal with it. I cannot see that there would be any difficulties whatsoever in making the report public. The Minister for Health was only saying that he had not yet received the report, and it has not yet gone to Cabinet, so he was not in a position to comment on it. That is a long way from saying that the Government will not release the report to the public.
Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) The comments of the Minister for Health on this matter have been misrepresented. He has not received the report; it has not even gone to Cabinet. The Government of Western Australia has been so open and accountable about this issue, that it organised a completely transparent drug summit to deal with it. I cannot see that there would be any difficulties whatsoever in making the report public. The Minister for Health was only saying that he had not yet received the report, and it has not yet gone to Cabinet, so he was not in a position to comment on it. That is a long way from saying that the Government will not release the report to the public.
(1)-(2) The comments of the Minister for Health on this matter have been misrepresented. He has not received the report; it has not even gone to Cabinet. The Government of Western Australia has been so open and accountable about this issue, that it organised a completely transparent drug summit to deal with it. I cannot see that there would be any difficulties whatsoever in making the report public. The Minister for Health was only saying that he had not yet received the report, and it has not yet gone to Cabinet, so he was not in a position to comment on it. That is a long way from saying that the Government will not release the report to the public.

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