Chris Hayes (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Joint Committee on the Australian Crime Commission report entitled Inquiry into the manufacture, importation and use of amphetamines and other synthetic drugs (AOSD) in Australia is a combination of a lot of submissions produced by law enforcement agencies, members of the public and concerned parents. In this inquiry I was able to bring some of my experience not only of having acted for many years for police officers in most of the state and territory police organisations but also as a parent. The present statistics for drug taking are quite horrific. Australians are among the highest per capita users of amphetamines in the world. The statistics released to this committee—and we have no reason to doubt them—show that one in eight people between the ages of 20 and 29 have used ecstasy. That is a phenomenal increase on what the original intelligence was indicating. It also goes to show that in the minds of young people it is the drug of choice and it is being considered like alcohol, despite the harmful nature of the various substances which go into the manufactured product which they are consuming.

I also brought to this committee something to bear as a parent. Like you, Mr Deputy Speaker, my children have grown up. But when my kids were growing older they were going out in various social groups. When we grew up, pubs and clubs were closing at 10 o’clock. These days young people do not seem to go out anytime before then. On one occasion my son, who was 19, went into Sydney with a couple of his football mates for a night out. Parents get used to their kids coming home at around 5 o’clock. At 5 o’clock the following morning I was taken aback to get a phone call from my son to see whether I could pick him up from a hospital. He went to St Vincents Hospital with his mate. His mate, unfortunately, took what was known then as a speed ball, which is ecstasy. He did that in a nightclub in Sydney. His mate actually collapsed on the floor. He was dragged out by the security people or the doormen. He was unconscious. Nine days later he died. I knew this kid’s parents and this really brought it home. Every parent is concerned about the prevalence of a drug of this type in the community, the fact that it is so readily available, and the fact that a lot of young people do not see anything wrong with it. So I and my family owe young Brock a huge debt of gratitude for seeing what occurred there. For the rest of the guys in that football team a very heavy price was paid. That was an example of what can occur when you go out and not know what you are taking.

As I said, at the moment figures show that one in eight people have consumed ecstasy in the last 12 months. According to Deputy Commissioner Simon Overland of Victoria Police, who gave evidence before the committee, police intelligence indicates that 100,000 ecstasy tablets are being consumed per weekend across Australia. That is a devastatingly high figure, which indicates that young people are not making the link between this drug and the consequence of overdosing. For many young people in this country who simply do not know what is in ecstasy or of its effect when mixed with alcohol, the drug is proving to be lethal.

One of the things that concerns police—and I say this with some knowledge—is that at the moment nationally we have produced the Model Criminal Code. It is the desire of the Commonwealth that state and territory governments would enact as closely as possible the tenets of the Model Criminal Code to enable police to be consistent in the way they handle issues of criminality. The Model Criminal Code is certainly designed to look at issues of drug based legislation and also at penalties as a result of criminal activity associated with drugs.

One of the things which came through loud and clear to the committee, one of the things which regrettably is affecting our ability to properly police the use of amphetamines and other synthetic drugs in this country is the inconsistency, as it presently stands, through the state and territory police jurisdictions, of criminal legislation. As most people know, crime does not know any state boundaries. Criminals will operate in various states and move across state borders. The lack of consistency in criminal legislation is hampering the ability of police to reduce the supply of amphetamines and other synthetic drugs in our community.

Sure, a lot of drugs are imported into the community, and the Commonwealth applies Customs to pursue the importations. Therefore, an increase in domestic production of speed is occurring in this country. That being the case, we are seeing more and more police trying to target the small, domestic drug laboratories which are popping up all around the place. These can be quite small. They are certainly very mobile and that is why there is a need for consistent legislation to particularly enable their investigations, and also prosecutions, to shut down drug laboratories to stop the production of drugs.

One of the other things where, quite frankly, it is essential there is some consistency of approach is how we monitor and police the precursor chemicals which go into the manufacture of synthetic drugs. Drugs rely on a lot of precursor chemicals which are being imported. We do not have presently a consistent regime on foot that actually appropriately monitors the infiltration of these precursor chemicals. Some states simply have legislation which will make any possession of precursor chemicals a crime in itself whereas other states do not. These are things, quite frankly, that are an impediment to policing. They are certainly an impediment to successful prosecution with a view to putting those who would seek to use these chemicals out of business.

I commend the report. It is one which has been produced with a view to doing something positive about reviewing state and territory criminal law to give some consistency to police in the way they may go about their function in shutting down this illicit industry. (Time expired)

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