Perrottet rejects recommendations 2 years after NSW inquiry into ice

By ERIN MODARO

Two-years after a special commission into the drug ice, the NSW government has responded, announcing that low-level drug use will not be decriminalised. NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet announced today that the state government supports, or supports in principle, 86 of the 109 recommendations handed down by the commission following the inquiry.

The $11 million inquiry into use of the drug ice, lead by Commissioner Professor Dan Howard, was a 14-month long deep dive into the impacts of methamphetamine use in NSW.

One recommendation the state government is not backing, is that offenders of low-level drug use should be offered access to health services, rather than be subject to criminalisation. The state government stated in a media release that “illicit drugs will continue to be illegal”.

“I want to make it very clear that the NSW government does not support the recommendation to decriminalise illicit drugs,” Perrottet said.

A 4-year, $500 million health investment into addressing the recommendations was also announced by the NSW government. The funding will go towards bridging treatment gaps, improving health, and expanding justice initiatives.

“Ice can ruin lives and have devastating impacts on families and communities. This funding will provide relief, help and hope for thousands of people across NSW,” Perrottet said.

Government waits over 2 years to respond

Earlier in the month, the NSW Law Society marked the two-and-a-half year milestone of inaction from the state government following the ice inquiry’s completion.

President of the Law Society of NSW Joanne van der Plaat said that the efforts of the commission had been “ignored for too long”. 

“There is no question that high level drug importers, manufacturers and dealers should be subject to the full force of the law, but the Government’s continuing ‘tough on crime’ approach to drug use is failing” van der Plaat said. 

President of the NSW Bar Association Gaby Bashir says that the Bar Association supports all 109 of the recommendations. 

“Diverting drug users towards health intervention, education and rehabilitation is being smart on crime” Bashir said. 

The state government has historically rejected other pushes to lighten legal action against drug users, such as pill testing initiatives and the expansion of medically supervised injection clinics.

NSW Deputy Premier Paul Toole affirmed that the Liberal government would not be “softening its stance on drugs” with the new investment.

“There remains zero tolerance for people who sell drugs on our streets and seek to profit from the despair they create. But we want better pathways for those struggling with addiction to get the help they need” Toole said.