Furious drug reform advocates have sent a terse message to NSW Premier Chris Minns over months of radio silence on the date of a long-promised drug summit. On Monday afternoon, ahead of the state budget on Tuesday, Uniting NSW unfurled a banner on St Stephen’s Church on Macquarie St opposite parliament house. The large purple banner sign read: “Premier, You Promised.
Drug Summit Now”. Uniting NSW ACT’s general manager of external relations and advocacy Emma Maiden said the organisation was exasperated no date had been set, with government reform on hold until after the summit. Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.
The organisation is calling for a five-day summit like one held by the Carr government in 1999, which would hear from law enforcement, government officials, community groups and people with lived-experience. “The drug summit is the process the government has told us that we have to go through to have any kind of substantial change,” Ms Maiden said. “We’re willing to lean into that and be part of the process.
But we can’t do that until we have a date. “When you make a promise you keep it. By delaying the summit, you’re not prioritising an issue that’s impacting so many members of the community.
“It doesn’t give you the potential to enact bipartisan legislation, and put any agreed reforms into practice.” To date, the government as only committed $1.8m in the establishment of a summit, with h.
