EMBARGOED AGAINST DELIVERY: 5 October 1977-
EXPECTED ABOUT 8. 00 p~~ tm. A DRJ I3' JR
Statement by the Prime Iviinister
I am pleased to be able -to inform the House that the
Government has decided to establish a National Royal Comnmission
into Drugs. The Royal Commission will be constituted by
Mr Justice E. S. Williams of the Queensland Supreme Court and
will commence its hearings as soon as possible.
Since the Commonwealth first announced the proposal
to establish a National Drug Inquiry,, there have been a series
of meetings between the Commonwealth and the States at officer
and ministerial level to settle the terms of reference and mode
of operation o f the Inquiry and to discuss co-operation and
co-ordination with the two existing Drug Inquiries in New South
Wales and South Australia.
Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia and Queensland
have agreed to the establishment of a National Royal Commission
and to the terms of reference of' such a Commission. . These
States have also indicated their willingness to give any legal
support necessary for the establishment and operation of the
National Royal Commission. Negotiations are still proceeding
with New South Wales and South Australia. The procedure will
be that the Commonwealth will establish a Commonwealth Royal
Commission and those States agreeing to support the National
Royal Commission will take steps to appoint the Commonwealth
Royal Commissioner to head identical inquiries under State
legislation.
The Government believres -this -to be a most important
step as it is clear from all accounts that the drug problem
extends right across Australia and is not confined to any one
particular State. Because of this, the Government believes
that a National Royal Commission is needed to investigate the'
total position." After the National Royal Commission has been
established I feel sure that a workable relationship will be
arrived at with the New South Wales and South Australian Royal
Commissions. The Government has beeh very conscious of the need to
minimise as much as possible any overlapping or duplication
between the roles of the various Commissions. To this end the
terms of reference of the National Royal Commission have been
adjusted to minimise any such overlapping particularly with
. the South Australian Inquiry.
I now table the proposed terms of reference which Ibelieve
represent a satisfactory and comprehensive basis for a
national inquiry.
( a) Tuexetoadtenhosudinthe illea t~ inOf d1rgs;
( iii) tChe il. g procducti. oni ad~ u . gs; and
( iv) t ilglraficir in dus
theli places rec drug~ s rm.. rioned in pra grza. ph ( a)
are produced or-from iw. hic1 they arc obtainedL a. nd h
places -to w,, hich -those chrug-are smit;
the eXtent11 to which
drugrfs are illegally used;
d r u la.' fulJly obtGainedu Qre -Lo' eti~ l legu-, ll
tr~ ficingor iilc-gal uscs,.,; or
( ij-i) drugs 14ire 1*) lSusedC in1 so far as svuch misu.-: e iLs r c c _ G
to the illegal. use Of drtlgs.;
the exten-t ( iC an-y) -to whicl. the illeg6al1 ac "._ LG
men'tm-. oned in paragrraph or the1c illcEal. use CrZ ti
divesio r~ cv~ ncd i~ n paraglrapoh ( c) ac c. ga:-; cd i
directllly or iirclby persons who enngage, en1 a1n
ais n otr lga civeswehr or
not related ' Co drugs;
the adequacy of -Xlisting laws .( including -h0 aprip1 rc.. n-:. s
Of the00n; l. t4LCs) anid of existfi enfor,~ n ( iL
arr ,,-, ie:-NtLs for co-oper0ation beenlawV enfore c. Cl'lvU
agcncic-) inr I-elation to tr rcic-t' r-l) iL,-oif l . cn r
ContCrol Of * Leirportlalticn, . ccc~ ct~ n rdcr.~
po3u'o-.. l. 31 or ure of, or rrffc. in in, cru"
( in1cu~ dic :~ 1 i~ gOf i-LtJvc, " or the
revisiocn o-f. Jrcn&;. l. jr: crcc&! L) t Emy
tehx t-.. mc sm u eans a naF rc l orpyhtoi
substanc and incLldes eIvCry3 drub-or-: bst-ancc scjf c i f
in any or t-he sCIcc-_ Ils -the~ Sj-nz'ILe C onvcn:!.-_ on on IN~ o
Drugs or t-he Cbnvcrition on PS-ychot4rCpiC; SUbstaFc-s
refeCrm." Me to a drugr _ inudes a rhrceto an1 artiLe
or subs-tance conitail-! hg a dru;
referenice -to the p_, roduction of a drvug includes a re-C-rc~ rc
ttho'. ~ cure of a drug by _ ny moansanda iJno c DO 3S
a refercecc t'Co t-ho cultUivatlon or Tprocuc.-lcJn oI:. P: an
sbsance frC which a driig is c a paE. cr boi ngdrvd
refeoren-ce to th-e i po rtation or cxmortat-0: i. o o1, o r to
trlf in, a drug h 0nldisuarrafrUnet
or e> pr)* 7 j,-cn of, or to t raffi cl: r in, a plant or S ubs:
referred t o in paragraph or-o a seed fr,~ I. hie FuC:' .
* plant-can bec culliLivatcd.
Dircc--icr._ o Cr> miscr
To t-1he cx-t-c-rj-t -dt a lohlmyb r as a na
-subs I; anc o, : the comisonri to be-dircctcd to haove. ' Acga r d to
* it on~ y in so far as it sncecss3ory to d. o so tIhor purp-ose.
Of rsa]. tishi c t c 11 of the110 ee] use, or tGhe
izlisuseo t. rdus nacr) nev. t aar~ h()