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300 Ministerial Statement 9 Mar 1999 of dealing with this problem are not working. Make no mistake; no family is exempt from the risk of losing a member to heroin addiction. That is why we must think again about how we try to prevent our young people from becoming addicts, how we try to help addicts and how we tackle the dealers in death. The Leaders Forum on Drugs attended by the Premiers on Friday, 5 March, in Melbourne, provided an impressive bipartisan and whole-of-Government approach to the illegal drug trade. All leaders were wholehearted in their search for new solutions. We looked in detail at new approaches to: harm minimisation; awareness and treatment; criminal justice; research; and Government response. I stressed the need for education to be added to the harm minimisation framework and for there to be an aggressive approach in this area. This was accepted by the other leaders. Victoria and the ACT decided to go ahead with heroin trials. I made it clear that I do not support heroin trials but that Queensland would organise a parallel trial using buprenorphine and naltrexone with identical arrangements where possible so that it can be determined which of the treatments offers the better results—and done on a clinical basis. Both Western Australia and Queensland voiced concern about the vast coastlines we have and the problems that Customs has in detecting illegal drug importations due to lack of personnel and resources. There was no criticism of Customs; it was simply an issue of resources. The forum agreed to seek a proactive role for the Australian defence forces in protecting our coast. In examining criminal justice options, the forum agreed to evaluate work camp options to focus on lifestyle, activity and discipline. But, of course, it would have to be part of rehabilitation. It also agreed to consider introducing nationally the civil forfeiture of drugrelated assets. Altogether, some 30 initiatives were suggested for future action. Now the Prime Minister must find the money, in our view, to fund these proposals, and they will be put to the meeting of Premiers with the Prime Minister on 9 April. It is a national problem which needs national funding. The Commonwealth should provide the funding for the drug trials which are being mounted. The Prime Minister and the Federal Government should provide funding as well for any drug courts that go ahead and which are currently being evaluated in Queensland. The Commonwealth should provide funds for treatment and rehabilitation. I am hopeful that, at the Premiers Conference on 9 April, there will be significant funds forthcoming from the Commonwealth. I table for the information of the House the outcome of the Leaders Forum on Drugs. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT International Women's Day Hon. P. D. BEATTIE (Brisbane Central— ALP) (Premier) (9.37 a.m.), by leave: It is with great pleasure that I inform the House of the support my Government is giving to the 70th anniversary celebrations of International Women's Day, which was yesterday. Yesterday, I jointly hosted with Minister Judy Spence, on behalf of the Queensland Government, a function at Parliament House to celebrate the 70th anniversary of International Women's Day in Queensland. The special guest was writer and women's activist Merle Thornton. Merle remarked on the irony, saying that last time she was treated to refreshments at Parliament House was 34 years ago, when she was lobbying to change a law that prevented her from drinking at the public bar of Queensland hotels simply because she was a woman. Well, she must have felt that she did not receive a proper hearing, because the next day she and colleague Ro Bogner chained themselves to the rail of the public bar at the Regatta Hotel. It took another 10 years of lobbying by women such as Merle Thornton before the law was changed and women were permitted to join men in Queensland's public bars. Thanks in part to these pioneering feminists, Government attitudes to women's policy have changed radically. Today, I table the first Queensland Government Annual Action Plan for Women: A Partnership Between Women and Government. I urge all members to read this plan, because it commits my Government to advancing women by listening to their ideas and concerns. The plan outlines strategies in eight key areas for women, including improving safety and justice, enhancing opportunities for women in rural and remote areas, and creating job and business opportunities. An important feature of the action plan is the Premier's Council for Women, announced yesterday. Twelve high-calibre Queensland women have been appointed to the council, which is now the Government's primary advisory body on women's issues. It was approved yesterday in Cabinet, being brought there by the Minister. I assure members of this House that we will be listening to that voice and that voice will be heard.
9 Mar 1999 Ministerial Statement 301 The council members, who bring a diversity of experience in women's issues to their roles, are: the chair, Cathy Miller, manager of the Logan Women's Health Centre and Sexual Assault Service; the deputy chair, Lynette Palmen, founder and managing director of Women's Network Australia; Elaine McKeon, managing director of Koutha Aboriginal Development Corporation Ltd; Patimah Malone, regional manager of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs in the Torres Strait; Frances Harding, the co-owner of Hotel Corones at Charleville; Christine Scott, a Charters Towers first-aid instructor; Madeleine McPherson, a University of Southern Queensland librarian; Jeannie Mok, the foundation principal of the Asian Pacific Institute; Gail Armstrong, principal of the Loganlea State High School; Grace Grace, assistant general secretary of the ACTU Queensland Branch; Mary Magee, former chair of the Ministerial Advisory Council for Queensland Women; and Dr Kay Saunders, reader in history at the University of Queensland. I look forward to working with these women to improve the position of all women in Queensland. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Art Built In Hon. M. J. FOLEY (Yeronga—ALP) (Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for The Arts) (9.40 a.m.), by leave: Today the Premier will launch Art Built In, the most comprehensive, integrated and visionary public art policy ever undertaken in Australia. This policy—which is a whole-of-Government policy endorsed by Cabinet—allocates 2% of major public capital works budgets in the State to integrated art and design in public buildings. It honours a key election commitment in Labor's New Directions Statement for the Arts 1998. It also heralds a new era for Queensland, with long-term cultural and economic benefits to our State and to the lives of all Queenslanders, now and in the future. As the first cultural policy ever to be implemented by every State Government department, it is also the fruition of long and careful consultation with my Cabinet colleagues, local government and key sectors of the construction, design and arts industries in Queensland. In general, the 2% will apply to capital works building projects in excess of $250,000, excluding Government fees and charges, WorkCover, and the cost of capital equipment. It is not mandatory for Government owned corporations or commercialised business units of Government. However, they are encouraged to use their best endeavours to implement this policy. A number of exemptions are specified in the policy, such as for prisons and for public housing intended for private use. It will apply in the 1999-2000 financial year, although some Government departments are already implementing the policy in current projects. An example of State and local government working together is the Cairns Esplanade project, which demonstrates the benefits to the community when a policy is integrated: that is, built in to the growth and needs of that community through community and industry consultation from the drawing board stage onwards. This visionary policy also ensures job opportunities for Queensland artists and designers and, in particular, young Queenslanders who will gain apprenticeships and training through public art projects. For the first time, all Queenslanders will be given a say in the shaping of their environment so that it reflects the inclusive, modern multicultural realities of our State. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT Pacific Motorway Hon. S. D. BREDHAUER (Cook—ALP) (Minister for Transport and Minister for Main Roads) (9.43 a.m.), by leave: This is a can-do Government focusing on jobs and job security. Through a series of major infrastructure projects we are improving Queensland's transport and roads and creating jobs, jobs, jobs: over 1,200 jobs in a $240m upgrade of the rail line between Rockhampton and Townsville; 2,000 jobs on the South East Transit Project; between 400 and 500 construction jobs on the Brisbane light rail project with up to 80 jobs in the operational phase; 300 jobs on the Airtrain airport rail link; 300 jobs on the new diesel tilt train between Brisbane and Cairns; over 500 permanent jobs for fixed-term employees in Queensland Rail with a further 150 to come; and 17,500 jobs throughout the State over the life of the $5.3 billion, five-year Roads Implementation Program. But today I want to talk about the Pacific Motorway. Construction work on the motorway is at its peak and over 1,750 people are directly employed on the project. As well, around 4,000 others are indirectly employed in providing goods and services to Main Roads and contractors. Quite a number of these people live along the motorway, which means
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