Furious message to Premier over ‘promise’

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.

Furious message to Premier over ‘promise’

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 hopes it will run by the end of the year.

NSW Greens spokeswoman for drug law reform Cate Faehrmann said delayed action was putting lives at risk.

“Since they were elected, the Minns government has pushed back on any serious reform in the drugs space, dangling the carrot of a drug summit that never seems to come,” she said.

“Since the Ice Inquiry, methamphetamine use continues to increase while those on the frontline beg for support with no answers in sight.

“We need urgent action. Instead, we’ve got a Premier whose only action in this space is kicking a can down the road towards a drug summit that everyone is now fearing is never going to happen.”

While Mr Minns declined to address Ms Maiden’s specific concerns around the budget, he said Tuesday’s budget would prioritise alleviating cost-of-living pressures for families.

“The biggest single issue facing families right now is cost of living,” he said.

“That has to be the government’s focus. When we have more to say about the drug summit we’ll announce it due course.”