❓ Opposition questions the government's success in reducing methamphetamine use, citing high regional and Perth usage rates. The Minister defends the government's record, highlighting reductions since 2016 and increased investment in services.
AnsweredQoN 454Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
METHAMPHETAMINE ACTION PLAN TASKFORCE
454. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Health:
The minister's government
was elected in March 2017, with a key commitment to reduce methamphetamine
usage in Western Australia. According to the recent National Wastewater Drug
Monitoring Program report released by the Australian Criminal Intelligence
Commission, methamphetamine use in regional WA is the highest in the nation, and
use in Perth is the second highest for capital cities in the nation.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Police, I call you to order for the first time. Start the question again.
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE :
The minister's government was elected in March 2017 with a key
commitment to reduce methamphetamine usage in WA. According to the recent
National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program report released by the Australian
Criminal Intelligence Commission, methamphetamine use in regional WA is the
highest in the nation, and use in Perth is the second highest for capital
cities in the nation. Given the clear evidence, will the minister now admit
that he has failed to address meth use in Western Australia; and, if not, how
does he consider the worst meth use in the country to be a success?
454. Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE to the Minister for Health:
The minister's government
was elected in March 2017, with a key commitment to reduce methamphetamine
usage in Western Australia. According to the recent National Wastewater Drug
Monitoring Program report released by the Australian Criminal Intelligence
Commission, methamphetamine use in regional WA is the highest in the nation, and
use in Perth is the second highest for capital cities in the nation.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Police, I call you to order for the first time. Start the question again.
Mr S.K. L'ESTRANGE :
The minister's government was elected in March 2017 with a key
commitment to reduce methamphetamine usage in WA. According to the recent
National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program report released by the Australian
Criminal Intelligence Commission, methamphetamine use in regional WA is the
highest in the nation, and use in Perth is the second highest for capital
cities in the nation. Given the clear evidence, will the minister now admit
that he has failed to address meth use in Western Australia; and, if not, how
does he consider the worst meth use in the country to be a success?
AnswerView source ↗
I think the member for Churchlands
and the member for Kingsley are in a race to see who can win the dope of the
year award!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! By the
way, I have been on my feet for five minutes. The one I gave you as a credit
before has now been taken. Member for Vasse, I was on my feet, and you were
screaming. I call you to order for the first time. Be aware of your
surroundings.
Mr R.H. COOK : I apologise to
the member for Kingsley, because we know that the member for Hillarys is the
biggest dope in this chamber!
I cannot believe that members
opposite are coming into this chamber on the issue around methamphetamine.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! We have
had our fun. Let us get on with it.
Mr R.H. COOK : Member for
Churchlands, it is not a matter of me digging out; it is a matter of burying
you!
The fact of the matter is that
between 2008 and 2016, under this sorry mob, the methamphetamine crisis
doubled. Under the same report that members
opposite are now going to, it doubled. Since 2016, the level of methamphetamine use has actually reduced.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : Did you hear
that, member for Moore, in your little bright-eyed, bushy-tailed sort of way?
In regional Western Australia, member for Moore, methamphetamine use has
reduced by 25 per cent. So the fact of the matter is —
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Moore!
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Water, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr R.H. COOK : Let us try
another stat. Since August 2018, we have had a further 15 per cent reduction.
So I am not quite sure why members opposite are coming into this place to talk
about methamphetamine, when we have a record methamphetamine —
Mr S.K. L'Estrange :
It's a very serious issue!
Mr R.H. COOK : It is a very
serious issue, member for Churchlands, and it is one that we should take
seriously, unlike what members opposite did. We saw what happened when members
opposite were in charge of this place; that is, we had a meth crisis. The fact
of the matter is that we are getting onto it.
Ms L. Mettam : What have you
done about it?
Mr R.H. COOK : I hear the
hapless member for Vasse chirping from the background. The fact of the matter
is that we have increased the number of meth beds in the south west, helping
her area by over 30 —
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, it is not a shouting match. I call you to order for the second time.
Mr R.H. COOK : Members
opposite should not come into this place and try to cry crocodile tears about
meth, when they were so hopeless in this place.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr R.H. COOK : We have introduced the meth border
force, which is reducing the supply. We have seen record seizures under the
leadership of the Minister for Police. In addition, we have seen a reduction in
demand. Our surveys are showing that even though we have seen an increase in
overall use, the number of people using methamphetamine is actually reducing.
In addition to that, we are reducing the harm. We have already spent over $244 million
on reducing the harm related to methamphetamine, and over $40 million in this
budget alone, increasing the number of services that are out there. So, of
course, we are seeing a good result in relation to those reductions in meth
use.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Carine!
Mr R.H. COOK : It doubled under the previous government's
watch. It has reduced by 25 per cent under our leadership. We will continue to
put downward pressure on methamphetamine and illicit drug use in this state. We have already seen that the Premier has
committed to making sure that we reduce illicit drug use in our community by 15
per cent, based on 2016 levels. We are making some progress towards this. We
have the resources, we have the targets and we have the commitment; and, as a result
of this survey, we are getting the results.
and the member for Kingsley are in a race to see who can win the dope of the
year award!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! By the
way, I have been on my feet for five minutes. The one I gave you as a credit
before has now been taken. Member for Vasse, I was on my feet, and you were
screaming. I call you to order for the first time. Be aware of your
surroundings.
Mr R.H. COOK : I apologise to
the member for Kingsley, because we know that the member for Hillarys is the
biggest dope in this chamber!
I cannot believe that members
opposite are coming into this chamber on the issue around methamphetamine.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Members! We have
had our fun. Let us get on with it.
Mr R.H. COOK : Member for
Churchlands, it is not a matter of me digging out; it is a matter of burying
you!
The fact of the matter is that
between 2008 and 2016, under this sorry mob, the methamphetamine crisis
doubled. Under the same report that members
opposite are now going to, it doubled. Since 2016, the level of methamphetamine use has actually reduced.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : Did you hear
that, member for Moore, in your little bright-eyed, bushy-tailed sort of way?
In regional Western Australia, member for Moore, methamphetamine use has
reduced by 25 per cent. So the fact of the matter is —
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Moore!
Mr D.J. Kelly interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Water, I call you to order for the first time.
Mr R.H. COOK : Let us try
another stat. Since August 2018, we have had a further 15 per cent reduction.
So I am not quite sure why members opposite are coming into this place to talk
about methamphetamine, when we have a record methamphetamine —
Mr S.K. L'Estrange :
It's a very serious issue!
Mr R.H. COOK : It is a very
serious issue, member for Churchlands, and it is one that we should take
seriously, unlike what members opposite did. We saw what happened when members
opposite were in charge of this place; that is, we had a meth crisis. The fact
of the matter is that we are getting onto it.
Ms L. Mettam : What have you
done about it?
Mr R.H. COOK : I hear the
hapless member for Vasse chirping from the background. The fact of the matter
is that we have increased the number of meth beds in the south west, helping
her area by over 30 —
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, it is not a shouting match. I call you to order for the second time.
Mr R.H. COOK : Members
opposite should not come into this place and try to cry crocodile tears about
meth, when they were so hopeless in this place.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Vasse, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr R.H. COOK : We have introduced the meth border
force, which is reducing the supply. We have seen record seizures under the
leadership of the Minister for Police. In addition, we have seen a reduction in
demand. Our surveys are showing that even though we have seen an increase in
overall use, the number of people using methamphetamine is actually reducing.
In addition to that, we are reducing the harm. We have already spent over $244 million
on reducing the harm related to methamphetamine, and over $40 million in this
budget alone, increasing the number of services that are out there. So, of
course, we are seeing a good result in relation to those reductions in meth
use.
Mr A. Krsticevic interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for Carine!
Mr R.H. COOK : It doubled under the previous government's
watch. It has reduced by 25 per cent under our leadership. We will continue to
put downward pressure on methamphetamine and illicit drug use in this state. We have already seen that the Premier has
committed to making sure that we reduce illicit drug use in our community by 15
per cent, based on 2016 levels. We are making some progress towards this. We
have the resources, we have the targets and we have the commitment; and, as a result
of this survey, we are getting the results.
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