House debates

Tuesday, 6 September 2022

Bills

Narcotic Drugs (Licence Charges) Amendment Bill 2022; Second Reading

12:03 pm

Photo of Sussan LeySussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) Share this | | Hansard source

The Narcotic Drugs (Licence Charges) Amendment Bill 2022 supports the Commonwealth's effective recovery of the costs associated with the administration of licences for Australia's medical cannabis industry, amending the Narcotic Drugs (Licence Charges) Act 2016 to bring the fees and charges framework in line with reforms introduced by the former coalition government last year. The coalition simplified the medicinal cannabis licensing framework in response to the McMillan review's recommendations to streamline the sector. The independent review conducted by Professor John McMillan was commissioned by the coalition and resulted in 26 recommendations for improving the medical cannabis licensing and permits frameworks in Australia. The coalition agreed in principle to adopt all 26 recommendations. We understood that cutting red tape and streamlining processes will strengthen the important and evolving industry in Australia and ensure the availability of medical cannabis to Australian patients under proper medical supervision.

Implementing the key recommendation of the review, we introduced amendments to replace the original three-licence model under the medical cannabis regulatory scheme with a single-licence structure. The activities relating to the administration of the medicinal cannabis regulatory scheme are funded through cost-recovery arrangements consistent with the Australian government's charging framework. As a result of the introduction of the simplified licence structure, changes to the fees and charges framework have become necessary to better align these arrangements with the new licence model. These changes were flagged by the McMillan review, which stated that the introduction of a simplified licence structure meant 'the scale of fees and charges would need to be tailored to the range of activities encompassed by a particular application and licence'. This bill seeks to continue the coalition's work of streamlining the medical cannabis industry by implementing these necessary changes to the fees and charges framework.

In stark contrast to the coalition's reform in this area, Labor has been unfortunately inconsistent and unclear in their policy when it comes to the safeguards around medicines and the role of regulation. We haven't forgotten that, in 2017, Labor voted in the Senate with the Greens to remove important TGA safeguards. Labor also shredded the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme when they were last in government, deferring many listings of critical medicines.

Now we're already seeing a concerning pattern of behaviour in the Albanese government's decisions on health. They have ended free rapid antigen tests for concession card holders and the supply to aged-care homes, and they were forced to backflip, after a costly delay, on cutting the pandemic leave disaster payment. The Albanese government has also cut more than 70 telehealth consultations, despite rising cost-of-living pressures. This cut has meant that since 1 July 2022 vulnerable Australians have no longer been able to access important COVID related telehealth items, including phone consultations that are over 20 minutes, restricting the availability of essential healthcare advice, particularly for vulnerable and regional Australians. In doing so, the government has gone against the advice of key stakeholders and experts, including the Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

Finalising the coalition's reform to streamline Australia's medical cannabis regulatory scheme through this bill is one positive decision after a long line of concerning steps taken by the Albanese government. In this place, and in the other chamber, the coalition will ensure Labor is subject to scrutiny when it comes to the commitments that they have made on health reform and the lack of transparent decision-making they have shown when it comes to their own policies. We will hold them to account for all of the election commitments that they have promised to the Australian people, because all Australians deserve access to Australia's world-class healthcare system and the critical medicines that we all rely on. I thank the House.

12:07 pm

Photo of James StevensJames Stevens (Sturt, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise in support of the second reading of the Narcotic Drugs (Licence Charges) Amendment Bill 2022 and commend the contribution just given by the Deputy Leader of the Opposition. It was a very helpful explanation of the history of this, which is indeed a coalition measure that was brought forward in the last parliament. We're now dealing with this afresh in this new parliament because of timing issues around elections et cetera. It's obviously sound policy, which we on this side of the House support.

Cannabis, of course, is an industry that has happily found more valuable applications in recent times than it has in its history. This is welcome and has created the need for a new framework to differentiate between those who use it for medicinal purposes and those who use it for illegal purposes. It's a developing industry, and it's obviously understandable that, from a legislative point of view, we've been needing to move through how we regulate the industry and how we see it as an opportunity, not just because of the important emerging capability it has to provide certain medical treatment to alleviate suffering but also because the production of cannabis is an opportunity for our primary producers.

There have been a number of proponents in my home state of South Australia that are in various stages of developing production capability for cannabis for medicinal purposes. As I say, apart from its medical application, it's an area that we should look at to see where, from an Australian industry point of view, we can encourage and make things as simple as possible for the production and manufacture of medical cannabis related products in this country. To digress, we've obviously had a broader recognition of the need for sovereign capability around key areas such as pharmaceuticals here in this country, recently highlighted by the experiences through the pandemic, and that things can happen that bring into stark contrast the need to have sovereign capability and to be able to produce here in this country some of the important, fundamental things that support our way of life and in pharmaceuticals and medicine in particular.

I also believe that the industry can do a lot more than provide for domestic requirements here in Australia. Indeed I believe that the industry can grow to be a good export earner for those that get into the production of medicinal cannabis in Australia, which is why we want to have a simple framework for overseeing the sector and make sure it is as straightforward as possible for people to participate in the sector, whilst equally not putting them in a position where we don't have the appropriate oversight that is necessary and important when it comes to licensing narcotics and ensuring that narcotics are produced, distributed, sold and used within the legal framework that we have to protect from abuse. So it was sensible for the previous government to undertake a review, and as has been pointed out, what we're doing through this legislation is implementing changes to the licensing charges framework so we can ensure that we're keeping things simple but equally make sure we have good oversight in place and that the sector are funding the cost of the government's overseeing of this framework.

I have sat a lot, and it has been a pleasure to contribute. But on the basis that no-one is indicating to me that the member for Macarthur is moments away from the chamber and of the goodwill towards this legislation from all corners of the chamber I will leave my remarks at that and commend the bill to the House.

12:12 pm

Photo of Ged KearneyGed Kearney (Cooper, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care) Share this | | Hansard source

I would like to thank the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and the member for Sturt for their very constructive and helpful comments. This bill amends the Narcotic Drugs (Licence Charges) Act 2016 to clarify that the Narcotic Drugs (Licence Charges) Regulation may prescribe matters that will be the subject of multiple separate charges which may be incurred by a licence holder during a particular charging period and to enable a simpler method for working out the amount of charge prescribed. The amendments in the bill are intended to provide sufficient flexibility for the regulations to appropriately prescribe charges supporting the effective recovery of the costs associated with administering the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967. I thank members for their contributions to the debate on the bill.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.