5 years ago
LABOR’S PLAN TO TACKLE ICE IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA
BILL SHORTEN MP
A Shorten Labor Government will help Western Australia combat the scourge of ice by funding new drug, alcohol and mental health facilities in the state’s hospitals.
After years of inaction under the WA Liberals, Mark McGowan and his team have started making real progress in the fight against ice. But they need a Federal Government that is committed to working with them on this fight - methamphetamine use remains high in WA and the experts say there is still much work to be done.
Ice is an issue that must be addressed not just because of the damage it does to users. It also drives crime and contributes to poor mental health and domestic violence.
A Shorten Labor Government will partner with the McGowan Government to ensure we build upon their progress and tackle this drug epidemic.
Labor’s $20 million investment will fund:
After years of inaction under the WA Liberals, Mark McGowan and his team have started making real progress in the fight against ice. But they need a Federal Government that is committed to working with them on this fight - methamphetamine use remains high in WA and the experts say there is still much work to be done.
Ice is an issue that must be addressed not just because of the damage it does to users. It also drives crime and contributes to poor mental health and domestic violence.
A Shorten Labor Government will partner with the McGowan Government to ensure we build upon their progress and tackle this drug epidemic.
Labor’s $20 million investment will fund:
- A 10 bed withdrawal unit and a mental health emergency centre at Midland Hospital in Perth ($4.6m)
- A 10 bed withdrawal unit at the Peel Health Campus in Mandurah ($6m)
- A mental health emergency centre in Rockingham ($5m)
- And an alcohol and drugs urgent care clinic at the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital ($4.15m)
Medical withdrawal units provide drug stabilisation services and help with the transition to ongoing treatment services.
Mental health emergency centres provide specialist services to people experiencing mental health crises often related to drug use. They help people who do not require admission to an inpatient unit but need close observation and intervention for up to 48 hours.
These projects stem from the recommendations of the WA Government’s Methamphetamine Action Plan Taskforce’s final report - Federal Labor is contributing to the implementation of those recommendations because we know how important this issue is to the community.
Labor’s investments come on top of the $110 million Federal Labor investment blitz that will fund vital hospital upgrades across the state.
We can afford these investments because we’ve made the tough decisions to make multinationals pay their fair share and close unfair tax loopholes.
Scott Morrison and the Liberals cannot be trusted with health – including alcohol and drug services like these. As Treasurer, Scott Morrison cut funding from health while trying to give a $80 billion tax handout to big business, including $17 billion to the big banks.
He cut $77 million from Western Australia’s hospitals under the current 2017 to 2020 funding agreement and he wants to cut even more from the next agreement.
Labor is more than reversing the Liberal cuts with our $2.8 billion Better Hospitals Fund, which we will use to fund these vital projects.
Only Labor can be trusted to fix Western Australia’s hospitals and restore funding to drug and alcohol services.
A Shorten Labor Government and a McGowan Labor Government will work together to deliver the health investment the state needs.