Liberal Democrats Senator David Leyonhjelm has slammed the decision of the Commonwealth Government’s National Capital Authority to block the ACT Government’s plan to allow pill testing at the Spilt Milk Music Festival in Canberra.
"The Commonwealth should butt out of ACT politics, particularly where the ACT Government is pursuing life-saving, evidence-based policy," Senator Leyonhjelm said.
"The ACT Government has already trialled pill testing at a festival in April that uncovered contaminated substances. All patrons who had their pills tested went home safe."
The Commonwealth should not take its lead from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, whose own failure to allow pill testing in NSW has led to recent deaths at NSW festivals.
"Ms Berejiklian’s reaction was to stop young people from congregating at dance festivals. This is a response more suitable for an authoritarian despot, and is unbecoming for a Premier in a liberal democracy."
The Commonwealth interfering with ACT health policy, simply because this festival is on land controlled by the National Capital Authority, comes hot on the heels of the Commonwealth Senate voting to retain the Commonwealth ban on the ACT and Northern Territory legislating their own laws on assisted suicide.
"The sooner the Commonwealth recognises that the ACT and Northern Territory have their own elected parliaments that more directly represent the people of the territories, the better."
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/act/national-capital-authority-quashes-spilt-milk-pill-testing-20180917-p5049k.html
