Subjects: Illicit Drug Diversion Initiative; Zimbabwe.
E&OE...........
PRIME MINISTER:
I';m announcing today that the Commonwealth will provide over a period of four years from July of next year, an additional $215 million to support the joint Commonwealth-State Drug Diversion Initiative. This will bring to $325 million the total resources that the Federal Government has committed to this very important initiative.
Our ‘Tough on Drugs'; program has three elements – law enforcement, education and rehabilitation. The Drug Diversion Initiative is all about rehabilitation. What it does is offer to people who are beginning to be caught up in the criminal justice system the alternative, if they go into rehabilitation, of avoiding prosecution and being taken to court. A strict understanding is that if they stick to the rehabilitation, then there won';t be any court procedures. But if they don';t, they run the risk of being caught up in the criminal justice system.
All of the States are cooperating and it';s an excellent example of what can be achieved between the Commonwealth and the States if they work together. We provide financial support for new rehabilitation services and the court and police systems of the States are available to supplement that contribution.
We are making steady progress in the fight against drugs. The number of heroin deaths has declined. Although that is not overwhelmingly due to just the measures in our ‘Tough on Drugs';, it is in part due to that. Our education campaign was very successful and it encouraged many more Australian parents to talk to their children about the menace of drugs.
As we contemplate the beginning of the New Year, I can think of few more practical things that the Governments of Australia can do beyond doing something more to help young people in particular break the drug habit if they have it, and to encourage those that don';t have it never to chance it. I think this announcement will give reassurance to the many people working in this field that the Federal Government is serious about the drug problem. We';re not only talking about it, we';re putting big resources in the way of trying to tackle the issue.
I want to thank Major Brian Watters, the Chairman of the Prime Minister';s Drug Committee, and the many other people who work very hard in this field to fight the scourge of drugs.
JOURNALIST:
Is this a move away from zero tolerance?
PRIME MINISTER:
No it';s not. I heard that suggested this morning. It';s not. It is a reinforcement and a continuation of a program that has already been operating for three years, and what I';m announcing today is a reaffirmation and an extension and a renewal of that program. But our attitude of zero tolerance has not changed. We have always said there are three ways of tackling the problem – you educate people against starting drugs; you crack down very hard on people who peddle them; and you try to rehabilitate people who want to break the habit. Now those three elements have always been part of ‘Tough on Drugs'; and what I';m announcing today is an extension and a renewal of the rehabilitation element. But in no way does it retreat from our ‘Tough on Drugs'; philosophy, our zero tolerance approach. And I';m encouraged, for example, to see that the New South Wales Government is now putting resources in the way of a campaign to dissuade people from using marijuana. That represents something that I';ve accepted for a long time, and that is that marijuana is bad for people, it can cause a lot of mental illness, it can cause depression, it can encourage suicide, and I think it';s a wholly welcome development that the New South Wales Government is seeing it that way now.
JOURNALIST:
If your Government can';t take total credit for the drop in heroin deaths, what is the reason do you think?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well we are claiming some of the credit but obviously it also has something to do with supply from overseas. I think it';s important in an area such as this to tell things exactly as they are and not to overclaim, but equally not to underclaim.
JOURNALIST:
Prime Minister, with the whole thing of Zimbabwe, on the radio this morning you suggested that you may approach other Governments.
PRIME MINISTER:
Yes.
JOURNALIST:
Are you flagging a concerted effort to push for a ban?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well there will be discussions undertaken with other Governments. I made it clear this morning that we';re not going to unilaterally prevent the Australian team from going to Zimbabwe. That would be quite unfair to the members of that team and to Australian cricket. We would like to see the International Cricket Council collectively change its view. That will only happen if there is a collective view expressed to that Council by a number of Governments, and we are discussing that with other Governments. I';ve spoken to the Foreign Minister this morning about the matter. He has already been in touch with the Foreign Ministers of some other countries and that process will go on. This is a difficult issue and the way in which it can be satisfactorily resolved is on an all-in or all-out basis, not by unilateral action that is unfair to the national team of the country taking that action.
JOURNALIST:
Should it be a political decision rather than a sporting decision? Do you think it is up to the Governments to make the call?
PRIME MINISTER:
Well that';s a view that was expressed by the International Cricket Council Chairman last night.
JOURNALIST:
Do you agree with that?
PRIME MINISTER:
What, the view that…
JOURNALIST:
[inaudible]
PRIME MINISTER:
Well what he said last night is that political views should be expressed by leaders of Governments. Well I';ve expressed a view. Thank you.
[ends]