Thursday, 30 October 2025

 Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:13): (1103) My question is for the Minister for Mental Health, Minister Stitt. In 2022 it was announced that the then Andrews government would be setting up an expert panel to consider a trial under which people caught with small quantities of drugs would be automatically issued a notice by police referring them to education or treatment. A working group of police, health professionals, addiction specialists and youth workers was going to be tasked with advising the government on options for the infringement trial, so my question is: what happened to this working group and the planned trial?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:13): I thank Ms Payne for her question. At the outset I want to reiterate our government’s commitment to preventing and reducing drug-related harm in the Victorian community. We as a government, since coming into office in 2014, have invested more than $3 billion in drug and alcohol treatment, support and harm minimisation initiatives, sitting alongside some substantial legislative reform and achievements over the past 10 years. I do want to acknowledge the work of the Legalise Cannabis MPs in this place. They have been working hard to provide research and information not just to the chamber but to the government and to the broader community.

The particular working group that you raise, Ms Payne, is not strictly a matter for me in my capacity as Minister for Mental Health. If my memory serves me correctly, that was a matter that the former Attorney announced in the last term of government. But what I can say is that our government do support alternative pathways for low-level offending where possible, and these measures obviously help to improve outcomes for not only that individual but the wider community. It is certainly in line with the government response to the recent inquiry into Legalise Cannabis Victoria’s Drugs, Poisons and Controlled Substances Amendment (Regulation of Personal Adult Use of Cannabis) Bill, and we will continue to consider options to improve drug diversion programs in relation to low-level drug use and possession, as per the formal government response to that inquiry. In addition to that, we will continue to monitor and consider the emerging evidence, including the important areas of harm minimisation and the flow-on effects I suppose for particularly vulnerable cohorts.

 Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:16): I thank the minister for her response there. You did touch on this in your response, but with the government’s recent rejection of the recommendations to decriminalise cannabis, the community is left asking what the government plans to do instead to address the harms of criminalising cannabis. Will the minister advise whether the government would consider bringing back the infringement trial?

 Ingrid STITT (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (12:16): I think you are right, Ms Payne: I did go to this in broad terms in my answer to your substantive question, and I think that the government response to the recent upper house inquiry should give you comfort that we will continue to look closely at ways in which we can support people and look at whether low-level offending, wherever possible, can be diverted away from the justice system or the impacts of incarceration. We have made that clear in our government response, and we will continue to look at ways in which that can occur.