❓ Opposition questions the government's drug reduction plan, citing increased methamphetamine use. The Premier defends the plan, highlighting a reported decrease in methamphetamine use since the previous government.
AnsweredQoN 87Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
METHAMPHETAMINE
87. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. How
can the people of Western Australia have any confidence in the plan that the
Premier released today to reduce drug use in Western Australia when the latest
figures released today show that in the past 12 months methamphetamine use has
gone up and the use of other drugs has also gone up under the government's
watch?
87. Mr P.A. KATSAMBANIS to the Premier:
I have a supplementary question. How
can the people of Western Australia have any confidence in the plan that the
Premier released today to reduce drug use in Western Australia when the latest
figures released today show that in the past 12 months methamphetamine use has
gone up and the use of other drugs has also gone up under the government's
watch?
AnswerView source ↗
I
will explain it to the member again because, although he was nodding, the
information was not going in. There has been a 20 per cent reduction in
methamphetamine use in the Western Australian community since the end of 2016.
The previous government left office early in 2017. Basically, in the past two
years, there has been a 20 per cent reduction. Some people would say that that
is remarkable, but it has been a significant improvement of at least half a tonne
of methamphetamine not being used in the community since the previous
government left office. I have outlined to the house previously five or six
initiatives that this government has taken to deal with methamphetamine. I recall
that back in 2012 or 2013, The West Australian had a front-page headline
''Meth City''. This came as a revelation to the previous
government. It did not even seem to know that the problem was out there.
Despite all the resources that the previous government had at its fingertips,
it did not seem to know. With the ''Meth City'' headline,
suddenly the previous government realised that there was a problem. The present
government is the first to take serious, sustained action on both demand and
supply. There are no easy answers, but at least the people of Western Australia
can have confidence that they have a government that cares about the problem
and is taking real action.
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
will explain it to the member again because, although he was nodding, the
information was not going in. There has been a 20 per cent reduction in
methamphetamine use in the Western Australian community since the end of 2016.
The previous government left office early in 2017. Basically, in the past two
years, there has been a 20 per cent reduction. Some people would say that that
is remarkable, but it has been a significant improvement of at least half a tonne
of methamphetamine not being used in the community since the previous
government left office. I have outlined to the house previously five or six
initiatives that this government has taken to deal with methamphetamine. I recall
that back in 2012 or 2013, The West Australian had a front-page headline
''Meth City''. This came as a revelation to the previous
government. It did not even seem to know that the problem was out there.
Despite all the resources that the previous government had at its fingertips,
it did not seem to know. With the ''Meth City'' headline,
suddenly the previous government realised that there was a problem. The present
government is the first to take serious, sustained action on both demand and
supply. There are no easy answers, but at least the people of Western Australia
can have confidence that they have a government that cares about the problem
and is taking real action.
The SPEAKER : That is the end
of question time.
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