E&OE.................................
PRIME MINISTER:
The Premier of New South Wales, to John Della Bosca his ministerial colleague, to James Pitt, Professor Webster, Brian Watters, Mick Palmer, the Commissioner of the Australian Federal Police, ladies and gentlemen.
I can unhesitatingly say that I agree with everything that the Labor Premier of New South Wales has said. Brother Carr and I on this particular issue are as of one because this is one of those issues that, all humour aside, strikes at the kind of society we are. It strikes all families in all stations of life; it touches people unexpectedly; it challenges us to summon our sense of compassion towards people who have a problem. And I certainly agree very much with what the Premier said about the courage of people who have summoned the commitment to do something about a personal problem.
I had the opportunity along with Brian only last week of announcing a program in Townsville run by the Salvation Army and I had the chance before making the announcement to spend a half an hour with the twenty men who come from all parts of Australia and had finally sort of recognised that they had to do something about their level of either alcohol or drug abuse. And they were very open and that was terrific and it was one of the more rewarding experiences I've had in recent months of actually feeling as though you could directly engage people and I learnt a great deal about their attitude and about how you deal with these things by being very direct and asking how it started and how they felt and how we could help and where society was helping them and where society was letting them down. And what they all said was that programs that gave them an opportunity to kick the habit were tremendous and there's been an absence of those in this country and we're not interested in whose fault that may have been in the past, let's forget about that. The good news is that governments across the party political divide at a state and federal level are working together very closely. And I want to thank the New South Wales Government, I want to thank the New South Wales Premier for the very strong support that he and his government and his Ministers are giving to the federal Government strategy. We're putting resources into catching the drug barons, into law enforcement. We're putting resources into educating children against starting with drugs and we're putting resources into helping people rehabilitate themselves and break the habit.
And the essence of diversion is to confront people with the choice. Do you get sucked into the criminal justice system or do you go into a diversionary program? And it's the overwhelming view of society that we ought to give people that opportunity and that is why this agreement made with the largest state in Australia, and it's the second of these agreements, we've launched one in Tasmania with the Tasmanian Government. I expect to conclude one very soon with the Queensland Government and I have no doubt that we'll conclude with all the other governments as well.
So can I say to all of those involved in the campaign against the menace of drugs and particularly people associated with Odyssey House which since 1977 has been providing people with hope and encouragement and I thank all of those people in the city of Sydney, the community of Sydney that have supported Odyssey House over the years. It must often seem very heartbreaking and painfully slow but I do believe organisations like Odyssey House are making a real difference and I applaud them for that and I thank all of those people involved.
We must never abandon our commitment to fighting the drug problem, you never give up on it and if you can offer people a way out and diversionary programs do that and the thirty eight odd million dollars of Commonwealth money that is going into this particular agreement will make a very important contribution. I know that Odyssey House in particular is associated with a cannabis diversion program and over the years has played a major role in fighting the drug menace at the grass roots and there are people here today who have forgotten more about the drug menace than many of us will ever know in our lives because of their daily coal face experience and it is all about getting governments at both levels, getting the great voluntary organisations of Australia, getting public spirited men and women in business and the professions and I particularly thank the involvement of the medical profession in this campaign.
So this is a very positive day, it's an example of where governments at a state and federal level are responding to a real human need and I thank the Premier for his cooperation. I think the diversion approach is the right way to go; I think it will gather respect and support within the Australian community and I really am personally delighted to be associated with this announcement.
Thank you.
[ends]