Kelvin Thomson (Wills, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I commend the member for Murray for her strong advocacy for Australian manufacturing. There ought to be more of it.

Les Twentyman OAM is a youth worker who has spent a lifetime working with disadvantaged young people and street kids in some of Melbourne's toughest neighbourhoods. There is not much he has not seen. But he asked if I could help him undertake a visit to Canberra on Monday and yesterday because he wanted to drive home a message to members of parliament about the urgency and dangers of the ice epidemic. He said to me that ice is worse than heroin because it makes users paranoid and violent and therefore a real danger to their own family and to the people who love them the most. He wanted to talk about the need for outreach youth workers to give young people who are giving up on school a plan B which does not involve drugs and crime. During his visit he saw the Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten; government minister Kevin Andrews; the Greens health spokesperson, Richard Di Natale; and Labor shadow minister Cathy King. He addressed the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and met with other members as well. I support Les Twentyman's call for action by the federal government to address this issue. This action should include developing a national strategy to address the ice epidemic; youth workers in our schools to assist children at risk; early intervention, diversion and rehabilitation programs; and increased resourcing and support for social and community services. We must put this issue on the agenda.