MEMBER for Northern Victoria Tania Maxwell has joined both sides of Victorian politics in speaking against a move to decriminalise illegal drugs.
The Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party MP said the party worked with victims of drug-fuelled crime every day.
“There is no way we could support a bill to decriminalise all drugs,” she said.
Upper House Reason Party MP Fiona Patten introduced the harm minimisation bill last week, intending to end the war on drugs in Victoria by diverting users or possessors to education and treatment programs instead of the criminal justice system.
The government has already ruled out supporting the proposed law.
“Our position is we have no plans to decriminalise,” Treasurer Tim Pallas said last Friday.
“It is clear that we do have in place diversion programs for the possession of small quantities of drugs. We’ve spent a lot of time going after those who manufacture and market in volume … illegal drugs.”
Ms Maxwell said there were other ways to deal with reducing stigma and increasing help for people with drug addiction.
“In Victoria today, more than 4000 people are on waiting lists for public alcohol and other drug (AOD) rehabilitation, including those ordered by our courts to attend these sessions,” she said.
“We want to see drug courts and rehabilitation services extended in regional areas.
“If Victoria can’t properly fund rehabilitation and detox services, then what hope do we have of reducing drug-fuelled crime and getting people the help they need?
“Police already use discretion and thousands of people every year are cautioned and diverted through our justice system for drug related matters.
“Illicit drugs cause havoc in our communities. Better health services and education is the best form of harm-reduction, not decriminalisation.”
Ms Patten said the 50-year war on drugs was “one of the most disastrous public policy failures in modern history” that destroyed drug users’ lives, wasted public money on jailing people and created a black market for organised criminals.
“Prohibition is being replaced with successful harm-minimisation approaches the world over,” she said in a statement.
“Change here in Victoria and throughout Australia is inevitable. Victoria Police supports treatment-based responses, rightly describing drug problems as ‘first and foremost health issues’. But the existing law ties up extensive police resources dealing with something that police acknowledge is a health issue, not a criminal one.”
The Opposition’s spokesman for police and community safety, Brad Battin, criticised the proposed law.
“Decriminalising dangerous drugs sends the wrong message and won’t help Victoria recover and rebuild,” he said in a statement.
“Victorians need a government focused on fixing our healthcare crisis, keeping our kids in school, small businesses open and getting our state back on track.”
