Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to Senator Ellison, the Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing. Earlier this year, Minister Pyne said it was ‘naive and dangerous’ to suggest that alcohol kills more people than illegal drugs. Why does the minister not admit that alcohol is second only to tobacco as the leading cause of death and hospitalisation? Why does he not admit that 3,000 Australians die every year due to alcohol abuse compared with 1,000 deaths from illegal drugs, and that alcohol abuse costs $1.2 billion a year and an unknown number of assaults, rapes and cases of domestic violence? Minister, a report this week says that one in eight Australians is at risk of alcohol related brain injury. When will your government stop being soft on alcohol, or is it only Indigenous drinking that your government is concerned about?

Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government does not take lightly the issue of alcohol and its effect on the Australian community. In fact, in the Tough on Drugs strategy we have always emphasised that part of the strategy involves a strategy for dealing with alcohol abuse. I think that that has been made clear by successive ministers who have dealt not only with the health portfolio but also with the law enforcement portfolio and education. Certainly the Australian government shares the concerns of the wider community in relation to the effects of alcohol abuse. Through the framework of the National Alcohol Strategy, the Australian government has committed along with the states and territories to comprehensively promote more responsible drinking. The strategy outlines priority areas for coordinated action to develop drinking cultures that support a reduction in alcohol related harm in Australia. I think the important point of the national strategy is that it recognises that the issue of alcohol is something to be dealt with across not only all governments of Australia but also non-government organisations and community groups. It is not something only in the remit of the Commonwealth government of Australia. We cannot be successful if we do not have those partnerships with other governments and non-government organisations.

The Australian government has committed over $25 million over four years to review and update the Australian Alcohol Guidelines and to conduct a National Safe Use of Alcohol Strategy media campaign commencing in 2007-08. Within that framework set out in the National Alcohol Strategy, the campaign will aim to reduce the perceived acceptability of intoxicated behaviour; to increase awareness of the Australian Alcohol Guidelines, standard drink labels and measures, and what constituents low-risk drinking—and that is directly relevant to the recent report in relation to suspected brain damage from alcohol abuse; and to increase community awareness of the significant cost of the harmful use of alcohol to individual families and communities.

In addition, the Australian government has a number of initiatives which seek to promote low-risk drinking behaviour and a more responsible drinking culture in Australia. These include the National Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy, which involves funding of over $4 million to build on existing partnerships, to increase awareness of the concept of a standard drink and to promote responsible drinking behaviours. As well as that, DrinkWise Australia received $5 million from the Australian government last year to conduct alcohol education programs using industry experience in promoting those programs. This funding also provides an opportunity for government to work together with industry to raise awareness about the harms associated with alcohol abuse. The 2007 budget included an investment of an additional $79.5 million to expand the Non Government Organisation Treatment Grants Program to ensure more treatment places and services for people with alcohol and other drug problems, and to increase the provision of those services. So you have a range of expenditure by this government in relation to alcohol strategies dealing with the rehabilitation of people who have a substance abuse problem, dealing with education and partnership with non-government organisations and tying in with the National Alcohol Strategy, which has been signed up to by the states and territories.

This is a very serious issue on which the Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy has been working for some years. In relation to my own prior involvement in the justice ministry, we were making contributions in relation to drink spiking and other dangerous practices. This is a serious issue and we take it seriously. (Time expired)

Lyn Allison (Victoria, Australian Democrats) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask a supplementary question, Mr President. The minister says the government spends around $100 million on alcohol problems, but how much is spent on illicit drug problems in this country? Why does your government continue to ignore the advice that could save lives? Why won’t you reform taxes to promote low-alcohol products or enforce stricter regulation on sales and marketing or properly label alcoholic products?

Chris Ellison (WA, Liberal Party, Minister for Human Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The licensing of the sale of alcohol is primarily the responsibility of the state and territory governments—and I do not say that in any way to move away from the Commonwealth responsibility in this area. But Senator Allison should understand that, in relation to this issue, the basic administration and the laws that relate to the supply of alcohol are state and territory laws. We are working with the state and territory governments in relation to dealing with alcohol as a problem in the wider community, and we will continue to do so.