Wednesday, 15 October 2025

 Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:16): (1073) My question is for the Treasurer. The Victorian government has shown a distinct lack of courage by ruling out the decriminalisation of cannabis. Enforcing the criminalisation of cannabis with imprisonment, policing and the court system wastes $1.7 billion across Australia, which is $4.66 million per day. At the same time here in Victoria our state debt will soon balloon to almost $200 billion, yet this government plans to continue to waste money arresting thousands of Victorians each year for possessing small amounts of cannabis. So my question is: how will this decision contribute to rising state debt?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:17): I thank Ms Payne for her question. I think I would like to pick up on parts of your question in relation to the impact on people. I want to talk about preventing and reducing drug harm in Victoria, because you talked about the money that harm can cost but there is also the money that we invest in prevention and health initiatives. My advice is that since 2014 our government has invested $3.3 billion in drug and alcohol treatment, support and harm minimisation initiatives, obviously sitting alongside substantive legislative reform that I know you are very supportive of in relation to medical cannabis and some of the other work that we have been talking to you about in relation to driving and the like. There is always opportunity to continue conversations with crossbench members and other members in the house about things that are important to them. We will continue to monitor and consider emerging evidence, including areas of harm minimisation and flow-on effects to vulnerable cohorts. But in relation to your specific question in relation to either AOD or indeed the justice system, it is better directed to the other ministers who hold those portfolios.

 Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:18): I thank the Treasurer for her response, and I note that the greatest harm caused by the criminalisation of cannabis is actually that interaction with the criminal justice system. By way of supplementary, the government’s failure to decriminalise cannabis ensures the profits of this billion-dollar market are kept in criminal hands. Will the Treasurer advise why the government has decided to give criminal enterprises millions of dollars, rather than the Victorian people?

 Jaclyn SYMES (Northern Victoria – Treasurer, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Regional Development) (12:18): I thank Ms Payne for her supplementary question. As she is referring to the government’s committee report response, I can confirm and reaffirm for the house that the government responses indicate that there are no plans to change laws regarding personal use or possession of cannabis at this time. I am more than happy to continue conversations in relation to a range of policies that your party or anybody else would like to talk to me about.