NSW Labor Leader, Michael Daley, has received a petition on pill testing at NSW Parliament today and reaffirmed his commitment that Labor, if elected, will hold a Drug Summit.

Mr Daley said that Labor’s position on pill testing remains the same. Labor will be guided by the experts and the evidence to come up with policies that can help save young people’s lives. Clearly, current policy measures are not working.

“Labor has an evidence-based approach and seeks a rational and informed community debate, unlike the Liberals and Nationals who stubbornly refuse to listen to any opinion but their own,” Mr Daley said.

The petition, signed by more than 100,000 people, was begun by Ms Adriana Buccianti whose son Daniel died from a drug-related overdose at a music festival in Victoria in January 2012.

Mr Daley issued an invitation to Ms Buccianti to attend the Drug Summit and tell her story and Daniel’s.

In NSW, there have been five deaths linked to MDMA since September 2018.

“We owe it to the families of the young people who have died to listen carefully and examine the evidence from the experts,” Mr Daley said.

There has not been a major Drug Summit in NSW since the historic 1999 one convened by former Premier Bob Carr almost 20 years ago. Illicit drug use in NSW has changed dramatically since then.

The Drug Summit will bring together experts, law enforcement, health professionals, family members and former users to consider evidence-based policy and to develop a way forward that protects lives.

Quotes attributable to Jo Haylen MP 

"I have long argued for an evidence-based approach to illicit drug use because saving lives should be above party politics. 

"No parent should have to face the death of a child, especially when many of these deaths are preventable.

"A drug summit will bring together all experts, law makers, stakeholders and drug consumers to put evidence before ideology.

"I support trialling pill testing and other harm minimisation measures because the evidence is clear that we need a new approach to illicit drug use. We can't continue to try to arrest our way out of this. It is overdue that we take an evidence-based approach and treat drug use as a health issue."