Medicinal Cannabis Prescriptions

Hansard ID: HANSARD-1323879322-167789

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

Medicinal Cannabis Prescriptions

Mr MARK COURE (Oatley) (11:44:46):

My question is directed to the Minister for Roads. Yesterday the Minister said there was little evidence to support the claim that doctors are routinely issuing medical cannabis prescriptions to recreational users on false or fake medical grounds. In 2025 the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency [AHPRA] found that some medical practitioners were issuing prescriptions at a rapid rate, including one practitioner who issued approximately 17,000 prescriptions in six months. How does the Minister reconcile her statement yesterday with AHPRA's findings and her own acknowledgement that medical cannabis prescriptions have doubled in the past 12 months?

Mr Ron Hoenig:

Point of order: The question seems, by implication, to be asking for an opinion from the Minister to judge the veracity of prescriptions given by a medical practitioner. I do not think the Minister can answer that question.

Mr James Griffin:

To the point of order: The question is entirely in order. Standing Order 126 states that questions to Ministers can be asked regarding public affairs and also matters under the Minister's administration. We are simply seeking her view and perspective on comments she made yesterday that were presented as fact.

Mr Ron Hoenig:

Further to the point of order: That is precisely the basis of the point of order. The Manager of Opposition Business just said the Opposition is seeking the view of the Minister. It is seeking the Minister's opinion. It cannot seek the Minister's opinion.

Ms Felicity Wilson:

He didn't say "opinion". He never said "opinion".

Mr Ron Hoenig:

He just said "view". Seeking the Minister's view is like seeking the Minister's opinion. Use your thesaurus. The member should rephrase the question so that it is in order.

The SPEAKER:

I appreciate the counsel of the Leader of the House. We all love Standing Order 128 (2)—and, in this case, Standing Order 128 (3) and (3) (a)—which mentions "an expression of opinion". We could rule out many questions by applying the rules under Standing Order 128. I believe the Minister is perfectly capable of answering the question. I call the Minister.

Ms JENNY AITCHISON (MaitlandMinister for Roads, and Minister for Regional Transport) (11:47:30):

— I thank the member for Oatley for his question. In saying that, I repeat my comments from yesterday that it would be helpful if the member, as the shadow Minister for Roads, asked for a briefing on this instead of running off half-cocked about a bill that he has not even read.

Ms Felicity Wilson:

He is entitled to ask questions at question time.

Ms JENNY AITCHISON:

He is entitled to. Everyone is entitled to ask questions at question time. He is also entitled to accept invitations for briefings, like the member for Port Macquarie did, on a matter that is of concern.

The SPEAKER:

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

Ms JENNY AITCHISON:

The question is asking about my view on the comments I made about the views expressed by the Leader of the Opposition that doctors were handing out scripts like confetti. I stand by my comments. I think that is an insult to Australian doctors and hundreds of thousands of patients. To be honest, I am sick to death of the smear campaign being run by those opposite and the stigmatisation of people who have serious medical conditions and manage them with medicinal cannabis. That is what it is.

The SPEAKER:

Members will come to order.

Ms JENNY AITCHISON:

They will malign all of them. Apparently, if you live in the "Opposition land" of altered reality, every single crash on our roads is caused by people who have a medicinal cannabis prescription and that's it. There is no evidence of that. They do not have evidence. We are being very modest and conservative.

The SPEAKER:

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

Ms JENNY AITCHISON:

People in our State are concerned that they will not be able to access medicinal cannabis and still drive. People have lost their lives because they have been confronted by the absolute injustice of being given a script and using it in accordance with their doctor's directions and then losing their licence for three months, having to pay a fine and having no way to leave their farm. I told the House about a case like this. It is happening. All the representations of members opposite—

Mr Adam Crouch:

Which you haven't responded to.

The SPEAKER:

I call the member for Terrigal to order for the second time.

Ms JENNY AITCHISON:

I have responded to them. If you have not got an answer, come back to me. I have responded. I do not know what members opposite are telling their constituents. There are literally thousands of people in their electorates who have begged them for compassion and empathy, and they have turned this into a political football for their own obsession. Police have said, "Although it is well known and accepted by most countries that cannabis has a negative impact on driving performance and crash risk, there is no established THC blood concentration which all people are impacted by."

The SPEAKER:

I call the member for Coffs Harbour to order for the first time.