Former police chief commissioner Neil Comrie said yesterday it was obvious that the Victorian Government had gone to the joint sitting of parliament on drugs with a predetermined position. Mr Comrie, a driving force behind the historic sitting on Wednesday, conceded to mixed feelings about the summit's success. He was philosophical about the differences that had emerged between the political parties on how to proceed. "Politics will always play a role in these things at the end of the day and I suspect that will always be the case," he said. [continues 266 words]
The Victorian Government will set up a highlevel advisory committee on drugs prevention following today's historic joint sitting of parliament on the drug issue. Government sources said former police commissioner Neil Comrie, who called for the joint sitting and is among eight speakers who will address parliament today, will be asked to serve on the committee. Leaders from both sides of politics welcomed the joint sitting as a chance to form a bipartisan approach to the drugs issue. The government hopes the committee will capitalise on any goodwill to come out of the session. [continues 322 words]
The Victorian Government has a new job for former police chief Neil Comrie - drugs adviser. With a rare joint sitting of parliament scheduled tomorrow to discuss drugs strategy, Premier Steve Bracks said the government would approach Mr Comrie about an advisory role. Mr Comrie, who is among five speakers at the sitting, proposed the summit this year as a way to reinvigorate efforts to tackle the drugs problem. He was not available for comment, but it is believed he may be interested in a part-time role. According to a draft program for the sitting, Mr Comrie and four other speakers - expected to include Professor David Penington, public health expert Margaret Hamilton, Catholic Archbishop George Pell and Salvation Army Major David Brunt - will each deliver a 30-minute address. [end]
Victorian Parliament may hold a historic joint sitting to tackle the drugs issue after the idea received support from the leading parties yesterday. Premier Steve Bracks described the proposal, put forward by retiring police commissioner Neil Comrie, as "attractive", while Opposition Leader Denis Napthine said the move would be "a positive step foward". Their comments came after Mr Comrie called for a 10-year bipartisan strategy to tackle the drugs problem. He was joined by a group of prominent Victorians including the Anglican and Catholic Archbishops, former lord mayor Ivan Deveson, Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy and the Royal Children's Hospital chief professor Glen Bowes. [continues 254 words]
Drug users who opted to kick their habit would get detoxification and withdrawal treatment in less than 10 days under new targets set by the Victorian Government. The proposal is part of a $77 million package announced by the government yesterday to tackle Victoria's drug problem through public education, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention. The package was developed by the government in response to the recommendations of the Drug Expert Policy Committee, headed by Dr David Penington. Among the measures announced yesterday were commitments to: [continues 580 words]
One of Victoria's biggest juvenile justice centres has major drug problems, with some inmates forced to act as drug couriers while others smoke marijuana with impunity, an independent review has found. A report into the operations of the Malmsbury Juvenile Justice Centre, commissioned by Community Services Minister Christine Campbell, found there was a "culture of intimidation". The report, by juvenile justice expert Graeme Baird, substantiated allegations made in May that some inmates allowed unsupervised leave were made to act as drug couriers. [continues 299 words]
The Victorian Government has released documents that it claims show the Kennett administration secretly supported a trial of supervised injecting facilities. Premier Steve Bracks told parliament yesterday that the documents indicated former premier Jeff Kennett considered an injecting room trial as a viable option. Mr Bracks said the documents, including notes from a series of confidential meetings between Wesley Central Mission and senior Kennett government officials, showed "quite clearly that there was a preparedness to look at supervised injecting facilities in certain circumstances". [continues 448 words]
Frauds, pornographers, sex offenders and drug dealers could all sit on Victorian juries under legislation to be passed by parliament. Under a bill set to be approved by the upper house, the pool of potential jurors will be expanded to include people on bail for summary offences. Shadow attorney-general Robert Dean said the move would undermine public confidence in the jury system and was an affront to the community's belief that people facing serious criminal charges should not sit on juries. [continues 312 words]
A Victorian youth forum has joined those opposed to the trial of supervised drug injecting facilities. In a move welcomed by the Opposition, a delegation of 100 young people representing about 220,000 students from 320 schools told MPs yesterday they did not support the introduction of injecting rooms. The delegates said establishing such facilities would encourage drug use rather than help curb the harm caused by substance abuse. They called for "TAC-style" campaigns to raise awareness of the issue, the use of counsellors rather than police to deal with drug users, more rehabilitation services and a crackdown on drug dealers. [continues 166 words]
The National Party has called for the creation of a special prison for drug offenders while rejecting Victorian Government proposals for a trial of supervised injecting facilities. In a widely anticipated move, National leader Peter Ryan yesterday declared his party's opposition to drug injecting rooms, claiming they would send a poor message to young people while doing nothing to curb the harm caused by drugs. Instead, Mr Ryan said the government should establish a 600-bed prison devoted to the detoxification and rehabilitation of drug offenders. [continues 421 words]
Victoria does not have the integration of health and community services necessary to ensure supervised injecting facilities are a success, according to state Liberal health spokesman Robert Doyle. Speaking on his return from a tour of drug facilities in Europe, Mr Doyle acknowledged injecting rooms had worked overseas but said it was apparent well integrated services were essential for them to succeed. "People who do it (injecting rooms) ... integrate their services very well," Mr Doyle said. He said in Melbourne the necessary close cooperation between services had not been achieved, and for a city with one of the worst drug problems in the world, it was embarrassing that drug users could face lengthy delays for detoxification and rehabilitation. [continues 260 words]
Young drug users from country Victoria will have the chance to kick their habit closer to home under plans unveiled by the Victorian Government. During a visit to Ballarat yesterday Health Minister John Thwaites announced plans for a series of youth residential detoxification facilities in regional areas. Mr Thwaites said the needs of regional Victoria had been overshadowed by the debate over supervised injecting rooms in Melbourne. Under the plan, drug users aged between 12 and 21 would have access to residential drug withdrawal units where they could stay for up to 10 days under 24-hour medical supervision. The first four-bed unit will be established in Ballarat by March with an annual operating budget of $688,000, followed by Geelong and other regional centres. [end]
Parliament may not get to vote on the Victorian Government's controversial supervised injecting facilities legislation until October. Although parliament resumes on August 15, David Penington, the chairman of the government's drug expert policy committee, told The Age it was unlikely a vote on the legislation would be held before early October. Dr Penington made the comment as he accused opposition health spokesman Robert Doyle of playing politics with the issue of injecting rooms. The drugs policy expert said Mr Doyle was calling for council plebiscites on the issue before the opposition had even made up its mind. [continues 358 words]
Possessing and using cannabis would be treated much the same as minor traffic offences under a proposal to be considered by the Victorian Government. The National Drug Research Institute has recommended that users of small amounts of cannabis no longer receive a criminal conviction if caught with the drug. Instead, an adult found with up to 50 grams and no more than three mature plants would initially be cautioned by police. If caught again, they would be fined up to $150 but no criminal conviction would be recorded. [continues 346 words]
Drug dealers could face harsher penalties under a review of sentencing laws being carried out by the Victorian Government. Premier Steve Bracks yesterday confirmed that the review, being carried out by the Justice Department, would examine sentencing for drug traffickers. Mr Bracks said he was concerned about the perception that drug dealers were dealt with too leniently by the legal system, adding that "prosecution and policing is one of the key arms of our drug strategy". The Premier said anyone caught trafficking in illegal drugs would "feel the full force of the law". [continues 270 words]
The Victorian Government is facing stiffening resistance from the opposition to its proposed trial of supervised injecting facilities. Liberal Party sources said a compromise plan proposed by Health Minister John Thwaites to win support for the trial had had the opposite effect. It is understood the biggest concern is that the opposition would be required to give in-principle support to a trial of supervised injecting facilities before detailed plans, including placement and management, are drawn up. Under the government's revised plans, the opposition would be asked to give in-principle support for the facilities when parliament resumes in August. [continues 393 words]
Operators of supervised injecting rooms would have to provide drug users with counselling and access to treatment and rehabilitation services if legislation, to go before the Victorian Parliament this week, is passed. In a bid to win support for the controversial trial of injecting facilities, Health Minister John Thwaites said the five municipalities with the highest rates of drug use would receive $1.4million each for drug treatment and rehabilitation programs. And he asked the Opposition to compromise over the trial proposal, offering it the opportunity for "maximum input into this whole process". [continues 222 words]
Drugs expert David Penington will argue the case for a test of supervised drug injecting centres at a meeting of Liberal Party MPs. The revelation came as Premier Steve Bracks said he was encouraged by the public support for supervised injecting rooms from two Liberal backbenchers. Dr Penington, who chairs the State Government's Drug Policy Expert Committee, confirmed he had accepted an invitation from Opposition Leader Denis Napthine to address Liberal members on his controversial proposal to test five injecting rooms for an 18-month period. [continues 215 words]
The first divisions have appeared in Liberal party ranks over the issue of supervised injecting rooms, with two MPs backing a trial, despite the "grave concerns" held by Opposition leader Denis Napthine. While the Liberals are yet to finalise their position on the State Government's proposed trial, they are expected to oppose the experiment in a block with the National Party. The backbenchers - Hurtle Lupton and Tony Plowman - are unlikely to get the chance to vote in favor of the proposal after Dr Napthine this week virtually ruled out the possibility of a conscience vote. [continues 467 words]
The Victorian Government is close to securing Commonwealth support to take its ground-breaking diversion program for drug offenders statewide. Health Minister John Thwaites said that negotiations with the Federal Government to fund the expansion of a program to divert drug users from crime into rehabilitation were "pretty much final". Victoria is eligible for a $23 million share of a $220 million fund announced by the Commonwealth last year to support drug rehabilitation and other treatment programs. Mr Thwaites said that the government wanted to build on the success of a pilot drug diversion program in Melbourne's northern suburbs and expand it statewide. [continues 411 words]
