MEDIA RELEASE

One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson has questioned the legality of handing back pills that have been tested at music festivals.

Senator Hanson suggested the practice was akin to turning a blind eye to, and even being complicit in, the commission of a crime.

The issue was raised by Senator Hanson in Senate Estimates today with Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece P Kershaw, during hearings conducted by the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee.

Senator Hanson asked: “How is it that, outside of the venue, it is illegal to take illicit drugs, but you can go to a venue, you can have your pill tested, it is then handed back to you and saying, ‘It’s ok for you to take that pill?’ Where is the line that it is classified as abiding by the laws of the nation, and not?”

Commissioner Kershaw responded by saying: “I think it goes back to, obviously, if people possess those drugs and they’re an offence, then we’ll enforce that.”

The response followed a string of questions by Senator Hanson that focussed on the police battle against the use and import of illicit drugs.

Senator Hanson: “Is the drugs coming into Australia on the up, or are we keeping it under control?”

Commissioner Kershaw: “We have seen an increase. I mean, Australia is a target market for organised crime given the fact that our price and profit margin for organised crime remains quite high.”

He added however, that the AFP worked very closely with international police – including in Myanmar, Columbia and Mexico – and had achieved successes in their campaign, however Australia’s sentences for crimes may not deter the importers.

Senator Hanson: “(Are) the sentences that we hand out in Australia for illicit drugs determin(ing) the impact or the amount of imports, or the manufacture of drugs in the country? Does that have an impact on it, coming down to the court system, and people selling their drugs?”

Commissioner Kershaw: “I think with organised crime, they’re prepared to operate anywhere, including where there’s jurisdictions where capital punishment exists; they’re quite capable and they will use whatever means they can to make a profit. So, we have very strong laws in Australia as far as sentences go; however, I’m not convinced that that comes into their thinking, at times.”

The commissioner also noted the very real issue of international drug criminals moving into rural communities.

“…regional communities in Australia now are a target too of organised crime and overseas based syndicates, so that’s something we will continue to focus on,” he told the Senate hearings.

Senator Hanson also said she had the greatest respect for the AFP and the work that it does.

END

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