❓ Question regarding the Liberal-National government's efforts to combat methamphetamine supply in WA. The Minister details the WA Joint Organised Crime Taskforce and its successes, contrasting it with the opposition's proposed strategies.
AnsweredQoN 514Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
METHAMPHETAMINES
— SUPPLY
514. MR N.W. MORTON to the Minister for
Police:
Mr Speaker —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : The question is finished.
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana, the question is finished.
Mr
N.W. MORTON : Can the minister please advise what the Liberal–National
government is doing to tackle the supply of methamphetamines in the community?
Ms
M.M. Quirk : Not enough is the answer.
— SUPPLY
514. MR N.W. MORTON to the Minister for
Police:
Mr Speaker —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : The question is finished.
Mr
R.H. Cook interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Kwinana, the question is finished.
Mr
N.W. MORTON : Can the minister please advise what the Liberal–National
government is doing to tackle the supply of methamphetamines in the community?
Ms
M.M. Quirk : Not enough is the answer.
AnswerView source ↗
That is an interesting interjection from the member for
Girrawheen. I do appreciate the member for Forrestfield's interest in
these law and order matters, and particularly his interest in what the state
government is doing more broadly with respect to cracking down on the supply of
methamphetamine into our communities. Last week I announced, with the Liberal
federal Minister for Justice, Hon Michael Keenan, an outstanding minister, the
formation of the WA Joint Organised Crime Taskforce. I have worked very
collaboratively with Hon Michael Keenan and we have combined the forces of his
agencies and our Western Australian police services with the Joint Organised
Crime Taskforce. That task force takes advantage of the joint power of the
databases of the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Crime Commission,
the Customs and Border Protection Service, the Australian Transaction Reports
and Analysis Centre—or ATRAC, as it is more commonly known—and,
of course, WA Police. That Joint Organised Crime Taskforce has been put
together to target and crack down on the importation of methamphetamine into
Western Australia. In just two months, that task force has taken 15 kilograms
of methylamphetamine out of the suburbs of Western Australia, and as a result
of that we are starting to see an increase in prosecutions for these offences.
Just last week, 4.2 kilograms of meth was seized by police, and, as a result of
that, a 25-year-old man has been charged with attempting to possess a commercial
quantity of a border-controlled drug.
The key element in our overall strategy is to target and
counter the effect of methylamphetamine in our community. It is important to
note the success of this operation. From 1 January 2013 to 15 May 2015, WA Police
has executed 243 search warrants under the Misuse of Drugs Act for clandestine
laboratories. In 2013–14, 1 703 prosecutions were commenced in metro
and regional Western Australia in charges relating to methylamphetamine.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
We will continue with our strategy to target methylamphetamine on our streets.
That provides a very stark contrast with the strategies that the opposition has
engaged in. We are still waiting for the opposition leader's proposed
meth strategy.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
We are still waiting for the opposition leader to meet with the 100 groups.
Since 2014, he was going to meet with 100 groups and get their views on
methylamphetamine. We are still waiting! What is their response?
The SPEAKER :
Right. Through the Chair. A quick answer, thank you.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
When I joined with the Liberal justice minister, with the Joint Organised Crime
Taskforce, the Leader of the Opposition —
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Armadale, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
The Leader of the Opposition says that we should put a submission in to a
federal parliamentary inquiry. That is going to do a lot to stop the flow of
methylamphetamine into the country—put a submission into a
parliamentary inquiry! We may do that, but we will continue to work with our
federal counterparts and we will continue to remove methylamphetamine from our
streets.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, members!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
It is important that people understand that we can put a submission into an
inquiry or we can take some action and remove methylamphetamine from the
streets. With 1 703 prosecutions, our success rate speaks for itself.
Girrawheen. I do appreciate the member for Forrestfield's interest in
these law and order matters, and particularly his interest in what the state
government is doing more broadly with respect to cracking down on the supply of
methamphetamine into our communities. Last week I announced, with the Liberal
federal Minister for Justice, Hon Michael Keenan, an outstanding minister, the
formation of the WA Joint Organised Crime Taskforce. I have worked very
collaboratively with Hon Michael Keenan and we have combined the forces of his
agencies and our Western Australian police services with the Joint Organised
Crime Taskforce. That task force takes advantage of the joint power of the
databases of the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Crime Commission,
the Customs and Border Protection Service, the Australian Transaction Reports
and Analysis Centre—or ATRAC, as it is more commonly known—and,
of course, WA Police. That Joint Organised Crime Taskforce has been put
together to target and crack down on the importation of methamphetamine into
Western Australia. In just two months, that task force has taken 15 kilograms
of methylamphetamine out of the suburbs of Western Australia, and as a result
of that we are starting to see an increase in prosecutions for these offences.
Just last week, 4.2 kilograms of meth was seized by police, and, as a result of
that, a 25-year-old man has been charged with attempting to possess a commercial
quantity of a border-controlled drug.
The key element in our overall strategy is to target and
counter the effect of methylamphetamine in our community. It is important to
note the success of this operation. From 1 January 2013 to 15 May 2015, WA Police
has executed 243 search warrants under the Misuse of Drugs Act for clandestine
laboratories. In 2013–14, 1 703 prosecutions were commenced in metro
and regional Western Australia in charges relating to methylamphetamine.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
We will continue with our strategy to target methylamphetamine on our streets.
That provides a very stark contrast with the strategies that the opposition has
engaged in. We are still waiting for the opposition leader's proposed
meth strategy.
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
We are still waiting for the opposition leader to meet with the 100 groups.
Since 2014, he was going to meet with 100 groups and get their views on
methylamphetamine. We are still waiting! What is their response?
The SPEAKER :
Right. Through the Chair. A quick answer, thank you.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
When I joined with the Liberal justice minister, with the Joint Organised Crime
Taskforce, the Leader of the Opposition —
Dr A.D. Buti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Armadale, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
The Leader of the Opposition says that we should put a submission in to a
federal parliamentary inquiry. That is going to do a lot to stop the flow of
methylamphetamine into the country—put a submission into a
parliamentary inquiry! We may do that, but we will continue to work with our
federal counterparts and we will continue to remove methylamphetamine from our
streets.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Thank
you, members!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
It is important that people understand that we can put a submission into an
inquiry or we can take some action and remove methylamphetamine from the
streets. With 1 703 prosecutions, our success rate speaks for itself.
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