Minister Says Victoria’s Drug Crisis Will Persist as Police Seek Increased Wages

Victoria’s Shadow Minister for Police, Brad Battin, believes the state’s drug epidemic will not improve while the policing pay dispute continues.

The number of overdose deaths is a critical issue, almost double the state’s road toll in 2023, with over 1,000 people dying over the past two years, as per a report from the Coroners Court released last month.

Last year, 547 Victorians lost their lives to drug overdoses, just three less deaths than in 2022.

“People dying from drug overdoses is a horrific thing, and if we intervene and get in earlier, you’ll have better outcomes,” Battin told The Epoch Times.

On Nov. 14, more than 400 Victorian police officers walked off the job at the police academy in Glen Waverley due to a mounting dispute with the Allan Labor government.

In the first strike action in over 20 years, officers held up a large banner that read “breaking point” and signs reading “overworked, undervalued.”

Police Association of Victoria Chief Executive Wayne Gatt said the disruption would continue without a satisfactory pay deal from the state government.

The dispute between the union and the government has been referred to the Fair Work Commission, with Gatt going on the record saying his members felt disrespected.

On Nov. 14, Gatt led a march down View Mount Rd in Glen Waverley.

If this stand-off continues, the state’s drug crisis will only worsen due to a lack of key police personnel enforcing the law, according to Minister Battin.

“Specifically around the drug crisis, the biggest thing is the policing of it,” he said.

“And at the moment we’re struggling with coppers. They’re just tied up—they can’t get out with stations closed.

“Until that gets fixed, nothing’s really going to change.”

Negotiating Pay

Meanwhile, Victoria Police want a 24 percent pay rise over the next four years and the introduction of 8.5-hour shifts.

In May, an in-principle agreement was reached with officers for a nine-day fortnight and 16 percent pay rise over four years, but police union members voted against the deal. The force then asked the Fair Work Commission to step in.

Treasurer and Industrial Relations Minister Tim Pallas said the government would try to back up their “fair and generous” offer before the commission, which is expected to make a ruling by the end of the year.

“Our process from here is if you reach an in-principle agreement, then the government will not be making further and better offers,” Pallas told reporters.

More Resources Needed for Drug Prevention, Rehab

Last month, the Victorian government announced its Statewide Action Plan to reduce widespread drug harm.

It will be a $95.1 million (US$61 million) investment, with initiatives to reduce drug-induced damage, save lives, and give more people the care they need.

As part of this package, the government is expanding access to pharmacotherapy in up to 30 locations across Victoria through a $8.4 million grants program. It believes this will allow up to 1,500 more Victorians to access life-changing treatment.

The government is also trialling 20 Naloxone vending machines alongside existing needle and syringe programs, so this medication can be accessed in life-or-death emergencies. This drug can quickly, but temporarily, reverse an opioid overdose, giving extra time to call an ambulance.

It is also establishing a new helpline offering anonymous care and advice to those at risk of overdosing.

Further, its pill testing trial will commence at the start of the 2024-25 festival season, running for 18 months.

A mobile service will begin during this summer’s music festival season and will attend up to 10 festivals and events throughout the trial.

Pill testing has divided opinion across Victoria, with Shadow Minister for Mental Health Emma Kealy saying it would not stop people from overdosing, or deaths from fatal overdoses.

Tim Richardson, parliamentary secretary for mental health and suicide prevention, said pursuing a harm minimisation policy was about safely managing those who wanted to continue taking drugs, despite knowing they would be putting their lives at risk.

“We hope that children and our kids in the future will not use illicit drugs, but just in the last 12 months one million people have taken cocaine. That is the reality that we are confronting, and one in six Australians have taken illicit drugs,” he said.

However, Battin said more time, money, and resources needed to be set aside for drug prevention and rehabilitation.

He also added that pill testing would only offer a band-aid solution to a complex and long-term issue.

“I’m not a big fan of pill testing. I actually think we should be putting money into prevention and rehabilitation,” he said.

“That’s been stripped from it. There should be more beds available, more in-patient and mental health support.

“That would make a massive difference.”