Header Qld AG Deb Frecklington
Ahh the Qld of previous that we love a lot.. Sir Joh could be proud!
ABC Australia
The Crisafulli authorities has introduced a crackdown on harmful driving whereas doubling down on a “zero-tolerance” strategy to drug driving, together with for medical hashish customers.
Lawyer Basic Deb Frecklington stated two new payments will probably be launched to parliament which can double the penalties for drink and drug drivers and create more durable penalties for different offences.
“We will probably be introducing not one, however two payments into the parliament to make sure that folks know that in the event you do the fallacious factor on the street, then you’ll endure the results by placing different folks’s lives in danger, whether or not it’s harmful driving, driving with medicine, or endangering folks’s lives,” she stated.
The reforms embody growing the utmost penalty for motorized vehicle offences which lead to loss of life or grievous bodily hurt from 16 years to 25 years, growing minimal licence disqualification durations, and increasing necessary imprisonment necessities for critical and repeat harmful driving offenders.
Ms Frecklington stated the reforms had been “fixing a loophole” which now meant meth discovered within the system of harmful driving offenders could be thought of an aggravating issue, with out having to show the meth affected the driving.
“The truth that you’re driving with meth in your system, that’s now sufficient to show that could be a circumstance of aggravation,” she stated.
Lawyer-Basic Deb Frecklington says the proposed legal guidelines will maintain offenders to account. (ABC Information: Curtis Rodda)
The announcement on Friday additionally included different reforms to be launched on December 1, 2026 together with:
- Doubled penalties for drug driving, with greater fines and longer licence disqualifications.
- Stronger penalties for mixed drink and drug offences, concentrating on a rising and extremely harmful behaviour.
- Minimal court-imposed fines to make sure penalties match the seriousness of offences.
- Rapid six-month licence suspensions for drivers caught greater than 40km/h over the pace restrict.
- Improved seatbelt enforcement, permitting drivers to appoint grownup passengers so the suitable particular person is held accountable.
Penalties for drink and drug drivers will probably be doubled below the brand new legal guidelines. (ABC Information: Elizabeth Pickering)
Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg reiterated the state would take a zero-tolerance strategy to drug driving, together with for folks with medicinal marijuana prescriptions.
“Quite than weakening the drug driving legal guidelines like different states have chosen to take action, we will probably be strengthening the provisions in relation to those that select to drive with a drug of their system,” he stated.
He referred to a Queensland drug driving overview, which discovered there have been limitations to impairment testing choices.
New South Wales has not too long ago launched drug driving reforms that will exempt drivers who’ve a prescription and are discovered to have lower than 50 nanograms per millilitre of THC of their system.
Tasmania and Victoria even have provisions for folks with prescriptions.
Former Justice of the Peace and Dean of Legislation at Southern Cross College David Heilpern stated the stance was “extraordinarily disappointing”.
“What we’re seeing is Queensland is out of contact with the remainder of Australia,” he stated.
“There’s completely no proof that medicinal hashish customers, utilizing constantly inside their prescription, have elevated street trauma wherever.”
He stated the hard-line strategy meant Queenslanders with prescriptions both “run the gauntlet” or didn’t use their remedy as a result of they had been too afraid of drug driving legal guidelines.
“As a substitute [they] use their opioids or their benzodiazepines … all of which is proven to extend street trauma,” he stated.
Medical physique backs continued ban
In an announcement, the Australian Medical Affiliation’s Queensland (AMAQ) department stated it supported “a continued ban on driving for any sufferers utilizing medicinal hashish”.
“The trade is under-regulated and concentrations of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in merchandise differ considerably,” AMAQ president Erica Gannon stated.
“Medical doctors commonly prescribe remedy that’s not suitable with driving autos, and medicinal hashish is certainly one of them.
“We urge any sufferers taking medicinal hashish who have to drive to debate various therapy choices with their common common practitioner (GP).”
Affiliate Professor Gannon, an emergency doctor, described street trauma as a “important driver of emergency division displays”.
“Queenslanders have to be discouraged from behaviour that would result in critical hurt to themselves or others,” she stated.
“Elevated penalties are subsequently acceptable deterrents. Nonetheless, drug use is a well being challenge, and punitive measures alone is not going to cut back its prevalence in the neighborhood.”
Learn extra right here and see the class desk of offences
