Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Assistant Minister for Health, Senator Nash. Can the minister inform the Senate what the government is doing to tackle the devastating problem of crystal methamphetamine, 'ice', in our communities?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator McKenzie for her question and note her very significant interest in this. Indeed, Senator McKenzie was one of the first of my colleagues to raise this as an issue with me. This is a devastating issue across the nation. The coalition has been extremely concerned about this and I have, personally, for a significant period of time now. There has been a rapid escalation in the use of this drug right across the country, borne out by the National Drug Strategy Household Survey and also by the Australian Crime Commission.

As I have been travelling around it has not ceased to worry me, the tragic stories that are coming before us. I was in Moree recently with the member for Parkes, Mark Coulton, where there is the tragic story of a young brother and sister who, following the use of ice, both suicided. This is not an isolated event. This is happening right across the country—the psychosis, the impact that it has, the long-term psychological issues and the links to violent criminal attacks and assaults. People now, right across the country, are becoming aware of the devastating nature of this drug.

The government moved, in April, to form the National Ice Taskforce, leading to a national ice strategy. On the task force we have Ken Lay, the previous police commissioner in Victoria, Dr Sally McCarthy and Professor Richard Murray. They will be travelling the country, as I and my colleague Minister Keenan will, running community consultations, round tables, making sure we get that input from the community as well, so a report can come to government—an interim report by the middle of the year—which will do a stocktake, if you like, to see exactly where we are at, across the country, in dealing with this drug.

Nobody believes they will get addicted to the drug. People think they can manage it. I can assure you, Mr President, they cannot. That is why the government is taking this so seriously.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister inform the Senate about the launch of the Ice Destroys Lives public-awareness campaign on the weekend and the activities of the National Ice Taskforce?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Sunday the government did indeed launch an advertising campaign as a first step in raising awareness across the country of the devastating nature of this drug. Part of the reason for that is to make sure we raise that awareness, that people know the task force is there and that they have the ability to contribute and make sure they have that voice heard through that task-force process.

The ads are hard-hitting, they are confronting and they show the devastating effects of this drug, and this government makes absolutely no apology for doing that. What this does is illustrate that ice destroys lives. It is going to run for six weeks online. This is particularly important in targeting our young people. We want young people never to start. It is not just about getting people off these drugs; it is ensuring that young people never start. Community is going to have to be involved with this as well, and that has been one of the targets of the campaign.

Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Will the minister advise the Senate what the government is doing to target the scourge of ice, particularly the impact it is having on regional Australia?

Fiona Nash (NSW, National Party, Assistant Minister for Health) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the things that has become very clear is the rapid escalation in rural and regional communities. Indeed, many of my colleagues—and I thank them for their feedback—raising this issue with me are from rural and regional areas. We are seeing a particular impact there.

The Australian Crime Commission report indicated that organised crime is targeting rural and regional areas as a new market, and this is something we absolutely have to address. Both the task force and their work around the country will particularly target rural and regional areas. The campaign will obviously reach into rural and regional areas. I will be travelling, along with Minister Keenan, around the country. I will be going particularly to rural and regional communities and we will ensure that the voice is heard around the community of what the devastating impacts of this drug are, community by community. We have made capacity for written submissions so that anybody across the country who wants to have an input into this will be able to do so.