Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I want to compliment each of the speakers and thank the member for Hughes for bringing this illicit drug motion before the House. We have heard speakers from both sides of the House put their heartfelt cases forward as to what needs to be done in this space.

I will not detain the House longer than I have to, but I do want to make a plea to the users and the potential users—our children in our community, our children of the state and our children of this nation. I ask the question first: what is the draw? Why are the youth of today drawn towards such a horrific drug? We have heard from the previous speaker, who worked in mental health. It must be horrifying.

I have the story of Nathan, an incredibly talented young footballer who was potentially going to be signed up by the Broncos. That was his goal. He was conducting a second and third year of apprenticeship. By all stretches of the imagination, he was exceeding in his field. He got tied up with ice and spent some time in the mental health facilities in Rockhampton. He was convicted, sentenced and did time in the Etna Creek jail. Nathan will never be the same. I know this about Nathan because he is my nephew. It is a terrible scourge. My sister went through just hell. You often hear people say, 'He was a good kid.'

My plea to law-abiding children of this country is be strong; do not make the mistake. It is a terrible drug. Just say no. Get high on life through sport or the warmth of your friends or whatever, but, if you have got a choice, just back out of the drug scene. There is no upside to it. The only people who prosper out of the drug scene are the pushers, who take your money to make more drugs. Stop the cycle; just say no. It is so difficult. My request is so simple. It is a plea not only to make our communities safer but to not destroy lives. It is a plea for the kids to just back out of it, to say no.

If you are tempted and you need to speak to someone, there is a lot of support out there in the community for you. Strangely enough, go and have a chat to an emergency services worker, your local sergeant or an ambulance driver. I am horrified when I catch up with our emergency services personnel. They are increasingly saying that the younger women that are affected by drugs are now becoming the aggressor in engagements.

Drugs have been around for ages—the sixties, the seventies, the eighties—but this is a terrible drug. In summary, my plea to our kids is: just back out of it; do not take drugs.

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