“My immediate fear is that more people will die this summer if nothing is done. It is morally wrong not to act when we know this,and have the chance to protect people in NSW,” the member of the Legislative Council said.
“The case for the harm-minimising effects of pill-testing is solid enough that NSW should not delay in taking it up.”
The calls came after the state’s strip-searching laws came under scrutiny from legal experts and the crossbench after theHerald revealed NSW Police had used the powers against girls as young as 12.
On Thursday,Police Minister Yasmin Catley said she was scrutinising whether the policy settings surrounding the controversial policing method were fit for purpose. Legalise Cannabis MP Jeremy Buckingham said he would raise the issue in his first meeting with Premier Chris Minns next month.
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Murphy’s argument in favour of pill testing was two-fold:first,the tragic deaths of two men at the Knockout Outdoor festival earlier in October underlined the number of dangerous drugs circulating in the community;second,the upcoming drug summit,promised by Labor ahead of the election,would be boosted by substantive,contemporary data.
Labor promised the summit would bring together experts to chart a pathway forward on reform. Frontbenchers Jo Haylen and Rose Jackson – both from party’s left wing – have been vocal advocates for drug reform.