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

I also thank the member for Hughes for his motion.

The damages caused to social cohesion by illicit drug use places a heavy burden on government authorities, while also affecting the productivity of the nation.

That is a statement taken from a briefing paper prepared by the New South Wales Parliamentary Research Service which I believe encapsulates the heart of this issue about illicit drugs. According to the 2016 National Drug Strategy Household Survey, 43 per cent of Australians reported having used illicit drugs at some point in their lives, whether it be for experimentation or dependency purposes. This statistic is a snapshot that shows the prevalence of illicit drugs in our community, with almost one in every two Australians having some exposure throughout their lives.

Illicit drug use is the cause of considerable concern across Australian society, particularly for young people. Although only a small proportion of people use illicit drugs on a dependency basis, the related harms to people using drugs in our community are nevertheless of very significant concern. Illicit drug use affects not only the individuals involved but also their families, their friends and businesses; indeed, it impacts on government resources. The obvious harm to individuals from drug abuse includes chronic illness, serious mental health issues, depression and in some cases, as we all know, death. Bear in mind that these health issues are born out of drug use. Also, there is a significant economic and social burden placed on our government resources—and, ultimately, the taxpayer—that flows from drug crime in our communities.

Studies have shown that many parents who are involved in drugs often put the needs of their drug dependency well ahead of welfare for their children. This should raise serious concern for all of us that live within communities. The risk is even greater when parents are involved in the manufacture of illicit drugs or the cultivation of hydroponically grown marijuana in domestic environments. Earlier this month, Strike Force Zambesi arrested a 43-year-old woman after they seized 58 cannabis plants from her Fairfield West home in my electorate. What was more concerning about this story was: in the home at the time of the search—when the drugs were found—were her four children. They were living in the house. Crime syndicates often prey on vulnerable people, many of whom have run up significant gambling debts to loan sharks. They are referred off to drug syndicates and they are entrapped in this illicit drug crime. Drug crime also has an impact on businesses. It is about not just whether a person can hold down a full-time job but whether a person will put others at risk, or, alternatively, whether they are involved in areas requiring high-level decisions or cooperation with others. These are concerns to the community as a whole.

Drug use in my electorate was once very, very high. Cabramatta was once known as the heroin capital of the nation. Cabramatta has certainly come a long way over the years, thanks to our police. Drugs still remain a concern, with ice, specifically, being problematic to our local area. The prevalence of methamphetamine has certainly been on the increase over the last five years. Presently, Cabramatta accounts for 26 per cent of all drug possession incidents. That is up 41 per cent over the last five years. To put this in some perspective, of the 64 search warrants executed by Cabramatta police between July 2015 and June 2016, police located drugs in 57 of those 64 incidences. I have nothing but pride in our local police, particularly their use of the MERIT Program, the Magistrates Early Referral Into Treatment Program. This has accounted for many young people being saved from a dependency on drug life.

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