MPs from across the political divide push Berejiklian on pill testing

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MPs from across the political divide push Berejiklian on pill testing

By Alexandra Smith

A group of cross-party NSW MPs is urging the Premier to commit to a drug summit after the March election, warning that urgent action is needed to stop people dying at music festivals.

In a letter sent to the Premier on Tuesday, Liberals' MP Shayne Mallard, Greens' MP Cate Faehrmann, Labor's Jo Haylen and independent MP Alex Greenwich warned the "current approach to illicit drugs" is failing.

Cross-party harm minimisation roundtable:  Cate Faehrmann MLC (left); NSW Greens; Alex Greenwich MP, Independent; Member for Sydney; Jo Haylen MP, Labor; Member for Summer Hill; Shayne Mallard Liberal Party.

Cross-party harm minimisation roundtable: Cate Faehrmann MLC (left); NSW Greens; Alex Greenwich MP, Independent; Member for Sydney; Jo Haylen MP, Labor; Member for Summer Hill; Shayne Mallard Liberal Party.

Their letter comes after four people have died of suspected drug overdoses at NSW music festivals since September, reigniting the debate over whether pill testing should be trialled.

Gladys Berejiklian has ruled out pill testing, arguing there is no evidence it saves lives, while the Opposition Leader Michael Daley has said it should not be discounted and has committed to a drug summit if Labor wins.

Former Australian Federal Police chief Mick Palmer has also said NSW should consider pill testing and some senior Liberals are urging Ms Berejiklian to be more open-minded about the measure.

NSW held a major drug summit in 1999, instigated by then-premier Bob Carr after a front-page photograph in The Sun-Herald newspaper showed a young boy injecting heroin on a Sydney street.

Heroin users on the footpath in Redfern in 1999.

Heroin users on the footpath in Redfern in 1999.Credit: Julian Andrews

It highlighted the heroin epidemic in Sydney and the summit led to the controversial supervised medical injecting centre in Kings Cross opening in 2001.

The cross-party working group of MPs who have written to Ms Berejiklian is focused on harm minimisation-based drug policy and have been working together since 2016.

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The letter sent to Premier Berejiklian.

The letter sent to Premier Berejiklian.

They held a harm minimisation summit in 2016, with Mr Carr as a keynote speaker as well as the former Liberal opposition leader, John Brogden.

The MPs' letter says they would be keen to "develop and progress cross-party legislation to enable pill-testing" if a drug summit recommend that it be trialled.

"As legislators from across the political spectrum with an interest in harm reduction, we respectfully urge you to commit to hosting a drug summit in the next term of Parliament and to guarantee that all possible measures to minimise harm are under consideration, including trialling pill-testing and the use of amnesty bins, and phasing out the use of drug detection dogs at music festivals," the letter says.

"A drug summit, convened by the NSW government, and engaging people from across government, the not-for-profit sector, health and justice, would allow us an opportunity to properly examine all the evidence and find the right mix of responses."

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Ms Berejiklian last week said she would consider pill testing "if there was a way in which we think we could ensure that lives were saved".

"But there is no evidence been provided to government on that," she said.

Sydney MP Alex Greenwich said every drug overdose at a music festival was an "avoidable tragedy".

"Members across the Parliament stand ready to find a way forward on pill-testing," he said.

“A drug summit will provide our colleagues with the opportunity to hear the evidence for pill testing and discuss the necessary safeguards.

"To see harm minimisation strategies, like pill testing, implemented it will take a robust multi-partisan parliamentary process. Our roundtable wants to take the politics out of the issue and pave a way for pragmatic, and compassionate approach to illicit drug use that is rooted in evidence."

In response to the letter, the Premier ruled out holding a drug summit.

“I appreciate there are differences in approach to this complex issue and all of us want to achieve the same outcome of protecting lives,” Ms Berejiklian said. “Those members are free to arrange a forum and provide their input, but my position is clear.”

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