❓ Mr. Punch asks the Minister for Health about the Methamphetamine Action Taskforce's community consultation and its findings. The Minister provides an update on the consultation, key themes identified, and the government's three-pronged approach to tackling methamphetamine.
AnsweredQoN 482Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
METHAMPHETAMINE ACTION
PLAN TASKFORCE
482. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the methamphetamine
action task force that was established by the McGowan Labor government to find
practical ways to reduce methamphetamine harm, and tackle the supply and demand
of this insidious drug. Can the minister update the house on the community
consultation the task force has undertaken and what it has revealed about the
challenges our community faces when it comes to tackling this problem?
PLAN TASKFORCE
482. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Health:
I refer to the methamphetamine
action task force that was established by the McGowan Labor government to find
practical ways to reduce methamphetamine harm, and tackle the supply and demand
of this insidious drug. Can the minister update the house on the community
consultation the task force has undertaken and what it has revealed about the
challenges our community faces when it comes to tackling this problem?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question,
coming from someone who has put a lot of time and effort into working with the
task force so that we can better understand this complex problem that is
impacting on our community, and making sure that we are pulling together a plan
that is comprehensive and seeks to deal with the issue, the impact of
methamphetamine on our community. We know it is an important issue because we
see it every day. Yesterday I released a report titled, ''What the
Taskforce Heard''. It is the outcome of the public consultation process
of the meth task force. Yesterday, we heard from Tom de Souza. Tom is a young
man of 23 years who has himself been impacted by an addiction to
methamphetamine. He talked about the impact it had on his life and his family
and the way it envelopes and ruins lives. He is a great example of just how low
a person can go with the impact of methamphetamine but what we can also do if
we pull someone out of that spiral. Tom is an inspiration to all of us. Members
might be interested to know that Tom does not come from a marginalised
background; he comes from an affluent community. It is a demonstration that
methamphetamine impacts all of us.
This report provides a window for everyone into the world of
methamphetamine addiction and its impact on our community. The meth task force
held over 70 meetings with more than 500 people attending those meetings across
the metropolitan area and regional centres. The extensive consultation was
undertaken in metropolitan and regional areas in WA, including Kalgoorlie,
Bunbury, Geraldton, Karratha, Port Hedland, Broome, Northam, Albany and
Exmouth. This report provides everyone with an insight into not only the
complexities associated with methamphetamine addiction, but also the
difficulties in addressing it. People talked to the task force about the need
for a focus on prevention and early intervention; the importance of reducing
the stigma around methamphetamine addiction; to encourage users to seek help
earlier and help families feel less isolated; the difficulty in accessing and
navigating a complex system to help and respond to people in crisis,
particularly in regional areas; and the need for more practical support for
families of individuals trying to build their lives. The McGowan government
takes a three-pronged approach to methamphetamine. It is about reducing the
harm, making sure we have the services to assist people and their families;
reducing supply by ensuring we have the proper law enforcement regime to make
sure that, where we can, we intercept this drug before it gets to our
community; and, of course, reducing demand—that is, educating the
community so that they understand just what an insidious drug this is and how
it can wreck and destroy lives and communities.
I am very much looking forward to
the outcome of the methamphetamine task force work, under the leadership
provided by Ron Alexander as chairman. I want to commend the member for Bunbury
for the work that he has put into being a member of that task force, and I think
we all as members of Parliament look forward to getting on top of this scourge
on our society, methamphetamine.
coming from someone who has put a lot of time and effort into working with the
task force so that we can better understand this complex problem that is
impacting on our community, and making sure that we are pulling together a plan
that is comprehensive and seeks to deal with the issue, the impact of
methamphetamine on our community. We know it is an important issue because we
see it every day. Yesterday I released a report titled, ''What the
Taskforce Heard''. It is the outcome of the public consultation process
of the meth task force. Yesterday, we heard from Tom de Souza. Tom is a young
man of 23 years who has himself been impacted by an addiction to
methamphetamine. He talked about the impact it had on his life and his family
and the way it envelopes and ruins lives. He is a great example of just how low
a person can go with the impact of methamphetamine but what we can also do if
we pull someone out of that spiral. Tom is an inspiration to all of us. Members
might be interested to know that Tom does not come from a marginalised
background; he comes from an affluent community. It is a demonstration that
methamphetamine impacts all of us.
This report provides a window for everyone into the world of
methamphetamine addiction and its impact on our community. The meth task force
held over 70 meetings with more than 500 people attending those meetings across
the metropolitan area and regional centres. The extensive consultation was
undertaken in metropolitan and regional areas in WA, including Kalgoorlie,
Bunbury, Geraldton, Karratha, Port Hedland, Broome, Northam, Albany and
Exmouth. This report provides everyone with an insight into not only the
complexities associated with methamphetamine addiction, but also the
difficulties in addressing it. People talked to the task force about the need
for a focus on prevention and early intervention; the importance of reducing
the stigma around methamphetamine addiction; to encourage users to seek help
earlier and help families feel less isolated; the difficulty in accessing and
navigating a complex system to help and respond to people in crisis,
particularly in regional areas; and the need for more practical support for
families of individuals trying to build their lives. The McGowan government
takes a three-pronged approach to methamphetamine. It is about reducing the
harm, making sure we have the services to assist people and their families;
reducing supply by ensuring we have the proper law enforcement regime to make
sure that, where we can, we intercept this drug before it gets to our
community; and, of course, reducing demand—that is, educating the
community so that they understand just what an insidious drug this is and how
it can wreck and destroy lives and communities.
I am very much looking forward to
the outcome of the methamphetamine task force work, under the leadership
provided by Ron Alexander as chairman. I want to commend the member for Bunbury
for the work that he has put into being a member of that task force, and I think
we all as members of Parliament look forward to getting on top of this scourge
on our society, methamphetamine.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.