Medicinal Cannabis and Road Safety

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-167011

Hansard session: Fifty-Eighth Parliament, First Session (58-1)

Medicinal Cannabis and Road Safety

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (11:51:55):

Thank you, Mr Speaker. Good choice.

The SPEAKER:

I call the member for Oatley to order for the first time.

Mr MARK COURE:

I think that is five today. My question is directed to the Minister for Roads, and Minister for Regional Transport.

Mr Jihad Dib:

Oh, no, you have not learnt.

Mr MARK COURE:

It is a serious question. Leading trauma surgeon Dr John Crozier has said that if Labor's three strikes drug driving policy goes ahead "there will be more body bags". Is Dr Crozier correct?

Ms JENNY AITCHISON (MaitlandMinister for Regional Transport, and Minister for Roads) (11:52:35):

— I thank the member for Oatley for the question. I met with Dr Crozier and another member of the medical profession last week. I explained more of the legislation to him so that he understood that the fundamental case here is that we are not changing the detection level at the roadside. If patients who are prescribed medicinal cannabis, who have registered with Transport for NSW and who have undergone online education, are detected at the roadside, then they will be given a warning on the first two occasions within two years. On the third occasion they will be subject to the same penalties that arise for every other person who fails that detection. The detection level is not changing. I know that Dr Crozier did not mean for his comment to be portrayed in the way that it has been by the member for Oatley, using that kind of language, because we had a very respectful discussion about the challenges of saving lives. Many patients in this State rely on medicinal cannabis to manage extreme symptoms, like extreme nausea, pain, seizures et cetera. It literally saves their lives.

After we made this announcement, I was in my electorate speaking to a local community group, giving them the information on it and allowing them to ask questions. I was devastated to hear about a man in my community who had been prescribed THC by his doctor. He was taking it when he was caught under the existing laws, which do not treat medicinal cannabis patients like any other patient on any other medication in our State. He lost his licence for three months. He was living in a regional area on a farm. He killed himself, because he realised that, under the regime the former Coalition Government left in place after changing the legislation to define medicinal cannabis as a legal drug, he could not get off his farm to get the things that he needed. I am not going to compare body counts. Frankly, that is a disgraceful way to debate this subject. It would have been much more sensible for the Liberal Party to have asked us for a briefing before they opposed our legislation. Those opposite changed the law when they were in Government to provide support for people who use this medicine to keep them alive, but they did not take that extra step. We will never compromise on road safety.

The SPEAKER:

Members will come to order. The member for Liverpool has the call and will be heard in silence.