❓ Opposition questions the Premier's delay in responding to the Community Drug Summit report, accusing him of a backflip and potential political coordination with federal Labor. The Premier defends the delay, citing a desire to avoid political exploitation of the issue during the federal election campaign.
AnsweredQoN 454Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COMMUNITY DRUG SUMMIT, GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE 454. Mr BOARD to the Premier: I refer the Premier to his closing address to the Community Drug Summit on 17 August 2001, as follows - You have shown us the wisdom; we now need the courage to respond. . . . The Community Drug Summit Office will give the Government the report by mid-September, and the Government intends to respond by 18 October. That is the Government’s challenge, and it intends to deliver on that challenge. I ask - (1) Why has the Premier backflipped on this important community issue and failed to show the courage to deal with the drug crisis? (2) Did the Premier or any of his staff discuss with Kim Beazley or any of his staff postponing the Government’s response to the Drug Summit until after the federal election? Dr GALLOP
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) I listened to and read quite a lot of the debate during the Drug Summit, and the message that came through was that these people said that they were sick and tired of political partisanship getting in the way of solutions on this issue. They said that they were sick and tired of politicians using their health and their problems as a political football. We have said that we will not let people use that issue as a political football. Therefore, we will consider those matters and reach our conclusions on the recommendations of the Drug Summit after the federal election. We are absolutely up front about this. We will not allow the Liberal Party in this State to attempt to hijack this debate - an important community debate in the context of a federal election campaign. We will have a proper debate on this issue.
COMMUNITY DRUG SUMMIT, GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE
I refer the Premier to his closing address to the Community Drug Summit on 17 August 2001, as follows - You have shown us the wisdom; we now need the courage to respond. . . . The Community Drug Summit Office will give the Government the report by mid-September, and the Government intends to respond by 18 October. That is the Government’s challenge, and it intends to deliver on that challenge. I ask - (1) Why has the Premier backflipped on this important community issue and failed to show the courage to deal with the drug crisis? (2) Did the Premier or any of his staff discuss with Kim Beazley or any of his staff postponing the Government’s response to the Drug Summit until after the federal election? Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) I listened to and read quite a lot of the debate during the Drug Summit, and the message that came through was that these people said that they were sick and tired of political partisanship getting in the way of solutions on this issue. They said that they were sick and tired of politicians using their health and their problems as a political football. We have said that we will not let people use that issue as a political football. Therefore, we will consider those matters and reach our conclusions on the recommendations of the Drug Summit after the federal election. We are absolutely up front about this. We will not allow the Liberal Party in this State to attempt to hijack this debate - an important community debate in the context of a federal election campaign. We will have a proper debate on this issue.
. . . The Community Drug Summit Office will give the Government the report by mid-September, and the Government intends to respond by 18 October. That is the Government’s challenge, and it intends to deliver on that challenge.
(1) Why has the Premier backflipped on this important community issue and failed to show the courage to deal with the drug crisis? (2) Did the Premier or any of his staff discuss with Kim Beazley or any of his staff postponing the Government’s response to the Drug Summit until after the federal election? Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) I listened to and read quite a lot of the debate during the Drug Summit, and the message that came through was that these people said that they were sick and tired of political partisanship getting in the way of solutions on this issue. They said that they were sick and tired of politicians using their health and their problems as a political football. We have said that we will not let people use that issue as a political football. Therefore, we will consider those matters and reach our conclusions on the recommendations of the Drug Summit after the federal election. We are absolutely up front about this. We will not allow the Liberal Party in this State to attempt to hijack this debate - an important community debate in the context of a federal election campaign. We will have a proper debate on this issue.
(2) Did the Premier or any of his staff discuss with Kim Beazley or any of his staff postponing the Government’s response to the Drug Summit until after the federal election? Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) I listened to and read quite a lot of the debate during the Drug Summit, and the message that came through was that these people said that they were sick and tired of political partisanship getting in the way of solutions on this issue. They said that they were sick and tired of politicians using their health and their problems as a political football. We have said that we will not let people use that issue as a political football. Therefore, we will consider those matters and reach our conclusions on the recommendations of the Drug Summit after the federal election. We are absolutely up front about this. We will not allow the Liberal Party in this State to attempt to hijack this debate - an important community debate in the context of a federal election campaign. We will have a proper debate on this issue.
Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) I listened to and read quite a lot of the debate during the Drug Summit, and the message that came through was that these people said that they were sick and tired of political partisanship getting in the way of solutions on this issue. They said that they were sick and tired of politicians using their health and their problems as a political football. We have said that we will not let people use that issue as a political football. Therefore, we will consider those matters and reach our conclusions on the recommendations of the Drug Summit after the federal election. We are absolutely up front about this. We will not allow the Liberal Party in this State to attempt to hijack this debate - an important community debate in the context of a federal election campaign. We will have a proper debate on this issue.
(1)-(2) I listened to and read quite a lot of the debate during the Drug Summit, and the message that came through was that these people said that they were sick and tired of political partisanship getting in the way of solutions on this issue. They said that they were sick and tired of politicians using their health and their problems as a political football. We have said that we will not let people use that issue as a political football. Therefore, we will consider those matters and reach our conclusions on the recommendations of the Drug Summit after the federal election. We are absolutely up front about this. We will not allow the Liberal Party in this State to attempt to hijack this debate - an important community debate in the context of a federal election campaign. We will have a proper debate on this issue.
COMMUNITY DRUG SUMMIT, GOVERNMENT’S RESPONSE
I refer the Premier to his closing address to the Community Drug Summit on 17 August 2001, as follows - You have shown us the wisdom; we now need the courage to respond. . . . The Community Drug Summit Office will give the Government the report by mid-September, and the Government intends to respond by 18 October. That is the Government’s challenge, and it intends to deliver on that challenge. I ask - (1) Why has the Premier backflipped on this important community issue and failed to show the courage to deal with the drug crisis? (2) Did the Premier or any of his staff discuss with Kim Beazley or any of his staff postponing the Government’s response to the Drug Summit until after the federal election? Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) I listened to and read quite a lot of the debate during the Drug Summit, and the message that came through was that these people said that they were sick and tired of political partisanship getting in the way of solutions on this issue. They said that they were sick and tired of politicians using their health and their problems as a political football. We have said that we will not let people use that issue as a political football. Therefore, we will consider those matters and reach our conclusions on the recommendations of the Drug Summit after the federal election. We are absolutely up front about this. We will not allow the Liberal Party in this State to attempt to hijack this debate - an important community debate in the context of a federal election campaign. We will have a proper debate on this issue.
. . . The Community Drug Summit Office will give the Government the report by mid-September, and the Government intends to respond by 18 October. That is the Government’s challenge, and it intends to deliver on that challenge.
(1) Why has the Premier backflipped on this important community issue and failed to show the courage to deal with the drug crisis? (2) Did the Premier or any of his staff discuss with Kim Beazley or any of his staff postponing the Government’s response to the Drug Summit until after the federal election? Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) I listened to and read quite a lot of the debate during the Drug Summit, and the message that came through was that these people said that they were sick and tired of political partisanship getting in the way of solutions on this issue. They said that they were sick and tired of politicians using their health and their problems as a political football. We have said that we will not let people use that issue as a political football. Therefore, we will consider those matters and reach our conclusions on the recommendations of the Drug Summit after the federal election. We are absolutely up front about this. We will not allow the Liberal Party in this State to attempt to hijack this debate - an important community debate in the context of a federal election campaign. We will have a proper debate on this issue.
(2) Did the Premier or any of his staff discuss with Kim Beazley or any of his staff postponing the Government’s response to the Drug Summit until after the federal election? Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) I listened to and read quite a lot of the debate during the Drug Summit, and the message that came through was that these people said that they were sick and tired of political partisanship getting in the way of solutions on this issue. They said that they were sick and tired of politicians using their health and their problems as a political football. We have said that we will not let people use that issue as a political football. Therefore, we will consider those matters and reach our conclusions on the recommendations of the Drug Summit after the federal election. We are absolutely up front about this. We will not allow the Liberal Party in this State to attempt to hijack this debate - an important community debate in the context of a federal election campaign. We will have a proper debate on this issue.
Dr GALLOP replied: (1)-(2) I listened to and read quite a lot of the debate during the Drug Summit, and the message that came through was that these people said that they were sick and tired of political partisanship getting in the way of solutions on this issue. They said that they were sick and tired of politicians using their health and their problems as a political football. We have said that we will not let people use that issue as a political football. Therefore, we will consider those matters and reach our conclusions on the recommendations of the Drug Summit after the federal election. We are absolutely up front about this. We will not allow the Liberal Party in this State to attempt to hijack this debate - an important community debate in the context of a federal election campaign. We will have a proper debate on this issue.
(1)-(2) I listened to and read quite a lot of the debate during the Drug Summit, and the message that came through was that these people said that they were sick and tired of political partisanship getting in the way of solutions on this issue. They said that they were sick and tired of politicians using their health and their problems as a political football. We have said that we will not let people use that issue as a political football. Therefore, we will consider those matters and reach our conclusions on the recommendations of the Drug Summit after the federal election. We are absolutely up front about this. We will not allow the Liberal Party in this State to attempt to hijack this debate - an important community debate in the context of a federal election campaign. We will have a proper debate on this issue.
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