❓ The Minister details new laws targeting precursor chemicals used in drug manufacture, criticising the previous government's approach and highlighting recent arrests made possible by the new legislation.
AnsweredQoN 387Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Will the minister inform the house of any new action that the government has taken in its fight against drugs? (2) Has the government made it harder for criminals in the drug trade? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Bassendean for his question. (1)-(2) For far too long the soft approach of members opposite allowed criminals involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs to destroy the lives of very many people in this state. The lives of thousands of people have been affected because members opposite allowed criminals to continue the illegal manufacture of drugs. The resolve of our government has been to stop this scourge and to introduce tough new laws to deal with these despicable criminals. Police now have the power - a power they did not previously have under members opposite - to deal with the possession, sale and supply of precursor chemicals. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
(2) Has the government made it harder for criminals in the drug trade? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for Bassendean for his question. (1)-(2) For far too long the soft approach of members opposite allowed criminals involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs to destroy the lives of very many people in this state. The lives of thousands of people have been affected because members opposite allowed criminals to continue the illegal manufacture of drugs. The resolve of our government has been to stop this scourge and to introduce tough new laws to deal with these despicable criminals. Police now have the power - a power they did not previously have under members opposite - to deal with the possession, sale and supply of precursor chemicals. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for Bassendean for his question. (1)-(2) For far too long the soft approach of members opposite allowed criminals involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs to destroy the lives of very many people in this state. The lives of thousands of people have been affected because members opposite allowed criminals to continue the illegal manufacture of drugs. The resolve of our government has been to stop this scourge and to introduce tough new laws to deal with these despicable criminals. Police now have the power - a power they did not previously have under members opposite - to deal with the possession, sale and supply of precursor chemicals. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
I thank the member for Bassendean for his question. (1)-(2) For far too long the soft approach of members opposite allowed criminals involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs to destroy the lives of very many people in this state. The lives of thousands of people have been affected because members opposite allowed criminals to continue the illegal manufacture of drugs. The resolve of our government has been to stop this scourge and to introduce tough new laws to deal with these despicable criminals. Police now have the power - a power they did not previously have under members opposite - to deal with the possession, sale and supply of precursor chemicals. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
(1)-(2) For far too long the soft approach of members opposite allowed criminals involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs to destroy the lives of very many people in this state. The lives of thousands of people have been affected because members opposite allowed criminals to continue the illegal manufacture of drugs. The resolve of our government has been to stop this scourge and to introduce tough new laws to deal with these despicable criminals. Police now have the power - a power they did not previously have under members opposite - to deal with the possession, sale and supply of precursor chemicals. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
(2) Has the government made it harder for criminals in the drug trade? Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for Bassendean for his question. (1)-(2) For far too long the soft approach of members opposite allowed criminals involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs to destroy the lives of very many people in this state. The lives of thousands of people have been affected because members opposite allowed criminals to continue the illegal manufacture of drugs. The resolve of our government has been to stop this scourge and to introduce tough new laws to deal with these despicable criminals. Police now have the power - a power they did not previously have under members opposite - to deal with the possession, sale and supply of precursor chemicals. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS replied: I thank the member for Bassendean for his question. (1)-(2) For far too long the soft approach of members opposite allowed criminals involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs to destroy the lives of very many people in this state. The lives of thousands of people have been affected because members opposite allowed criminals to continue the illegal manufacture of drugs. The resolve of our government has been to stop this scourge and to introduce tough new laws to deal with these despicable criminals. Police now have the power - a power they did not previously have under members opposite - to deal with the possession, sale and supply of precursor chemicals. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
I thank the member for Bassendean for his question. (1)-(2) For far too long the soft approach of members opposite allowed criminals involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs to destroy the lives of very many people in this state. The lives of thousands of people have been affected because members opposite allowed criminals to continue the illegal manufacture of drugs. The resolve of our government has been to stop this scourge and to introduce tough new laws to deal with these despicable criminals. Police now have the power - a power they did not previously have under members opposite - to deal with the possession, sale and supply of precursor chemicals. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
(1)-(2) For far too long the soft approach of members opposite allowed criminals involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs to destroy the lives of very many people in this state. The lives of thousands of people have been affected because members opposite allowed criminals to continue the illegal manufacture of drugs. The resolve of our government has been to stop this scourge and to introduce tough new laws to deal with these despicable criminals. Police now have the power - a power they did not previously have under members opposite - to deal with the possession, sale and supply of precursor chemicals. Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Mr M.J. Birney interjected. Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Dr G.G. Jacobs interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
The SPEAKER : I call to order the Leader of the Opposition and the member for Roe. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : Recently the police have been able to make a number of arrests based on the laws that our government proclaimed on 1 January this year. The most significant of those arrests was that of a 32-year-old man for possession of a precursor chemical under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Police allege that the man was in possession of more than 11 kilograms, or 30 000 tablets, of pseudoephedrine. Under the laws of members opposite, he would not have been prosecuted at all. Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Mr J.H.D. Day : That’s not true. A policy had been developed. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : The previous government had a code of practice in place. The member for Darling Range is on the record as saying that a code of practice was good enough. It was not good enough. We needed the laws. We need to be able to charge people and not take a soft approach to those involved in peddling drugs in the community. The individual I have referred to visited some 60 pharmacies in Perth over a two-day period. The amount of pseudoephedrine involved could have been used to manufacture up to 30 kilograms of methamphetamine. Just yesterday, when police raided a house in East Victoria Park, they not only seized a large quantity of stolen property but also discovered a substance believed to be a precursor chemical linked to a clandestine laboratory. Many of those involved in the illegal manufacture of drugs are linked to outlaw motorcycle gangs and criminal elements that operate backyard laboratories to manufacture illegal drugs and sell them for huge profits. The laws of members opposite would have caught those people only in the act of manufacturing the drugs. Now they can be dealt with for possession of precursor chemicals and so forth. The new laws place strict controls on the supply of chemicals and equipment that are capable of being used illegally in the manufacture of amphetamines and other drugs. Police now have the power to scrutinise people who are buying quantities of these chemicals. Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Mr J.H.D. Day interjected. The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
The SPEAKER : I call to order for the second time the member for Darling Range. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
Mrs M.H. ROBERTS : I am talking about people who have no legitimate use for these chemicals. The Gallop government, unlike members opposite, is determined to stamp out the illegal drug trade. We will continue to equip our Police Service with the resources and powers to deal with them, and to deal with them seriously. These recent arrests are evidence of the way in which our Police Service is using excellent legislation that has been introduced in this state.
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