Senate debates

Monday, 9 February 2015

Bills

Crimes Legislation Amendment (Psychoactive Substances and Other Measures) Bill 2014; In Committee

7:37 pm

Photo of Richard ColbeckRichard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture) Share this | Hansard source

The test is clear on the face of the bill. A substance may be seized if an officer has a reasonable suspicion that a substance has a psychoactive effect and is not otherwise covered by another import scheme. Further, the bill contains a clear definition of 'psychoactive effect', and I will read that out for you. It says:

psychoactive effect, in relation to a person, means:

(a)   stimulation or depression of the person’s central nervous system—

you have already described some of these in your questions this evening—

resulting in hallucinations or in a significant disturbance in, or significant change to, motor function, thinking, behaviour, perception, awareness or mood; or

(b) causing a state of dependence, including physical or psychological addiction.

So that is very clear.

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