Chris Hayes (Fowler, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Following the member for Flynn, I should say that I also want to talk about crystal methamphetamine this evening. A very notorious drug known as ice has become a growing problem in many communities across Australia and also in my community in south-west Sydney. This is an evil drug that has shocking addictive, aggressive and psychotic consequences and, regrettably, it is fast becoming the drug of choice throughout the country. Ice, as it is widely known, is very cheap and readily available. It is easily produced, easy to buy on the streets and easy to administer. Unlike other drugs of the past, such as heroin, it does not require injection, and being smoked probably makes it seem more innocuous.

But as a member of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement I have taken part in a number of the parliamentary hearings across the country looking at the scale of this ice epidemic. The evidence that has come out of the proceedings so far reiterates the fact that this is a large and growing problem that threatens to tear individuals, families and communities apart. The committee held hearings in Liverpool earlier this year, with New South Wales Deputy Commissioner Nick Kaldas as well as the police commanders from Cabramatta, Liverpool, Green Valley and Fairfield local area commands giving evidence. They presented a staggering picture of the widespread use of ice in my local community and across New South Wales.

In the New South Wales population alone the level of methamphetamine use has been around 2.1 per cent over the past five years. Over the past 24 months, however, the number of arrests for methamphetamine possession has increased by 36.3 per cent in New South Wales. The use of ice, as opposed to other forms of the methamphetamine group of drugs, has more than doubled—from 22 per cent in 2010 to 50 per cent in 2013.

Commanders from the local police commands in my electorate presented evidence of a growing problem associated with the production and use of ice. Presently, methamphetamine accounts for 20 per cent of all drug possession incidents in Cabramatta, representing a 32 per cent increase over the past five years. It is currently the second most seized drug after cannabis and represents between 25 and 35 per cent of the total detection of drugs in Liverpool. In Green Valley, police have seen a 40 per cent increase in the number of ice detections over the past 12 months alone.

Our police do a great job and often put their lives at risk to protect our community against the surge of this devastating drug. Their role extends beyond interfering with the manufacture and distribution of the drug to educating young people and encouraging treatment and rehabilitation. Their job in combating the ice epidemic is particularly hard as it is the only illicit drug in Australia that is both imported and produced domestically. This makes controlling the supply of methamphetamine particularly challenging.

Our health professionals are also on the front line of dealing with the ice epidemic, regularly being exposed to dangerous situations while trying to look after, and oftentimes save the lives of, the sufferers themselves—who can become highly aggressive. The men and women working in these highly demanding fields deserve our support and gratitude. They should not be fighting this issue alone. This is a task for the entire community to tackle together. The spread of drug use, including ice, contributes to high crime rates, destroys families and places incredible pressure on our police force and our healthcare providers. The government should take a leading role in ensuring this burden is shared.

The government has taken steps to address the growing problem by launching the National Ice Taskforce and investing $20 million in the National Drugs Campaign. However, these actions conflict with the message sent by the coalition's $800 million cut from the health flexible funds that support critical services providing prevention and rehabilitation for people on drugs. The message needs to be clear and consistent that the government is prepared to do its part in helping individuals, families and communities across Australia tackle this ice epidemic.