Jon Stanhope is playing political games with road safety, criticising the Canberra Liberals Random Drug Testing (RDT) legislation already in the Assembly with incorrect analysis and without alternative legislation, Shadow Minister for Police, Jeremy Hanson said today.
As late as December last year ACT Labor said RDT legislation was not a ‘high priority’, now only three months later Mr Stanhope has done a complete back-flip and suggested he would look at legislation.
“Jon Stanhope has previously spoken against RDT, he has previously voted against RDT and he has previously described the legislation as ‘Redneck’ legislation,” Mr Hanson said. “It’s extraordinary he is choosing to play political games with road safety initiatives.
“I would welcome a genuine approach by ACT Labor to implement what is an important road safety measure. I am very disappointed that in his first statement supporting RDT legislation, Mr Stanhope spends more time attacking current legislation already in the Assembly than providing any details of alternative Government legislation.
“His unfounded attacks are based on the false statement that the Canberra Liberals RDT Legislation would test for safe limits of illegal drugs rather than test for the presence of certain illegal drugs. This is incorrect. My legislation clearly tests for the presence of illicit drugs and states that for a prescribed illicit drug, ‘any concentration of the drug present in the blood’ would be an offence.
“Jon Stanhope has either failed to understand the legislation I have tabled or is deliberately misconstruing its content and intent.
“The Assembly will debate my legislation next month and I call on Jon Stanhope to put road safety first instead of playing these silly political games. If he has any genuine amendments to my bill that he considers would improve its implementation then I would welcome that debate.
“The community deserves better than the Chief Minister squabbling on this important initiative - it is time to act,” Mr Hanson said.
