Danna Vale (Hughes, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In our society today, especially for the young people of our cities, suburbs and towns across Australia, illicit drug use is a problem and a real challenge for our nation. While we are all well aware of the devastation that drugs cause individuals, their families and our community, many, including me, fear that their use may soon become endemic. We in this place must continue to give our fellow Australians the clear message that illegal drug use is dangerous and that it is not acceptable for the future of our children and for their future happiness and fulfilment. We must also offer our children a word of hope and educate them about the dangers of drug use.

One person doing a wonderful job on this front in my electorate is Sutherland shire resident Darren Marton, who launched his No Way antidrug campaign at the Cronulla Sutherland Sharks Leagues Club earlier this year. Darren is well placed to comment on substance abuse, having succumbed to the lure of drugs at a very early age and gradually ruined a promising career in the sports of rugby league and water polo. As a rising young sports star, Darren Marton began smoking cannabis in high school but, as so often happens, progressed to heavier drugs and by his early 20s was addicted to heroin. After a tumultuous decade, which included stints in jail and psychiatric wards, Darren finally experienced the terrors of crystal methamphetamine, more commonly known as ice.

However, in 2004, after a great struggle and great unhappiness in his life, Darren turned his life around. He then vowed to use his own life experience to educate young people about the dangers and consequences of illicit drug use. I was privileged to attend the launch of Darren’s Drugs No Way campaign and hear him give a deep and moving account of the impact of drugs on his life. Darren was a gifted young athlete who had the world at his feet. He played junior representative football with the Cronulla Sharks in New South Wales and accepted a scholarship with the Sharks at the young age of 16. He had been a state rep player and, over a period of nine years, had captained his junior rugby league football team, the Gymea Gorillas, to a record nine-year premiership—all before losing it to drugs.

However, Darren will say that he lost to drugs more than his bright future in sport; he lost his self-esteem, his self-confidence, his opportunity for a good education and his career opportunities—worst of all, he almost lost his family. It was only last year that I met Darren Marton and became aware of his story and his driving motivation to help others learn from his mistakes. At a meeting in my office, I gave Darren my full support. Since then, he has been able to gain the support of many local people—including Mr Alan Jones of Radio 2GB—to assist him in spreading the word of his campaign.

I am now pleased to report that the National Rugby League has fully endorsed Darren’s campaign and produced 500 t-shirts bearing the NRL logo and the Drugs No Way campaign logo. Darren will speak to players from every team in the Harold Mathews Cup, the under 16s and the SG Ball, the under 18s junior representative rugby league competition. He also has spoken with players at Gymea and Camden Junior Rugby League football clubs. He has spoken to many schools and has invitations to speak at many others, including St Patrick’s College in Sutherland, Holy Cross College in Ryde, Macquarie College in Newcastle, Boystown at Engadine and Granville Boys High School. Since 17 May this year, when the campaign started, Darren has spoken to over 1,500 young people and their parents. Darren has also been invited to speak at Drug Free Australia in Adelaide next year at a major drug conference.

Back in my electorate, Darren will be raising money for his campaign with the Drugs No Way sportsmen’s luncheon to be held at the Sutherland United Services Club on Friday. Former Parramatta legend John Peard will be the MC. Former Sharks and current South Sydney fullback David Peachey will attend, as will Bulldogs prop Mark O’Meley, who has played State of Origin for New South Wales and test for Australia.

I would like to pay tribute to the work that Darren is doing, to his courage and determination in giving his time to warn young people about drugs, and to his commitment to creating a confronting and powerful campaign to warn our precious young Australians of the dangers of drug use. However, Darren should not be alone in his efforts to encourage young people to fulfil their dreams. We all have a duty to educate our young people about the dangerous ramifications of drugs, both legal and illegal. This combined with a zero tolerance approach to illicit drugs is the only way to go. I would like to finish with a quote from Kofi Annan—and Darren quotes this message often. He said:

Let us arm our young people to say no.

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