ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has called on "progressive forces" in the Senate to continue resisting "hyper-political culture war" attempts by the federal Coalition to intervene in territory matters.
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The Greens, independent ACT senator David Pocock and the Jacqui Lambie Network senators combined late on Tuesday with the Albanese government to sink the federal opposition's attempt, 27 votes to 34, to send its bill to override the ACT's incoming drug decriminalisation laws to a Senate inquiry.
Out of concern that "our nation's capital should not be the drug capital", West Australian senator Michaelia Cash had wanted to send the Australian Capital Territory government's Drugs of Dependence (Personal Use) Amendment Act 2022, a private senators' bill, to the Senate's legal and constitutional affairs references committee for inquiry.
![ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr, centre, wants Senator David Pocock, right, and others to resist 'culture war' attempts from Coalition politicians, like Senator Matt Canavan. Pictures Sitthixay Ditthavong, Karleen Minney and Keegan Carroll ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr, centre, wants Senator David Pocock, right, and others to resist 'culture war' attempts from Coalition politicians, like Senator Matt Canavan. Pictures Sitthixay Ditthavong, Karleen Minney and Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/3BUUzmFAhrhLyX9rFCubPq5/bfa8fcde-c7c5-4cec-aad7-4e35a056e9f2.jpg/r0_0_3840_2159_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It is a different result to the federal Greens' support for a recent Senate inquiry into a bill relating to the ACT government's forced takeover of the former Calvary Public Hospital Bruce. The Greens say the latest bill is a "clear breach of territory rights."
"I certainly hope that the progressive forces in the Senate continue to resist it," Mr Barr told reporters in Canberra. "It stunned me that the Greens and David Pocock on at least one occasion, on other issues, voted to support these sorts of political stunts."
![ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr says the Federal Coalition are "throwing red meat to the base". Picture by Karleen Minney ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr says the Federal Coalition are "throwing red meat to the base". Picture by Karleen Minney](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/128375134/c4c110de-ea79-4a0b-8a19-2c79d570caf8.jpg/r0_459_8256_5119_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I think Canberrans were stunned as well.
"So I would hope that what we saw yesterday where an overwhelming majority of senators rejected this, this hyper-political culture war intervention that that voting bloc will hold together to resist further attempts that I'm sure are coming."
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Queensland LNP senator Matt Canavan had argued the ACT laws, which he regarded as "rushed", required a "greater degree of oversight" from the commonwealth government, particularly as he expected criminals would seek to abuse the situation in the ACT and expand their "evil business models".
"There is a risk that the streets of Canberra will become like the streets of San Francisco," he said on Monday. "And because this is our national capital, I don't want Australia to have to suffer that reputation unnecessarily."
Senator Pocock is firmly opposed to the Cash bill, describing it as a politically motivated move that uses "transparency as a fig leaf for undermining the ACT's right to self-governance".
![Senator for ACT, Senator David Pocock said he will not support "undermining the ACTs right to self-governance". Picture by Keegan Carroll Senator for ACT, Senator David Pocock said he will not support "undermining the ACTs right to self-governance". Picture by Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/128375134/ed66ddec-39f9-4e30-b22e-0cf51bc389dd.jpg/r0_333_5000_3144_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"By singling out the ACT, we are not hearing the experiences of WA or any other community who may also want to see greater support in their communities for people seeking treatment for addiction," he said.
"I would certainly support an inquiry looking at the challenges nationwide, but I can't support a narrow inquiry intended to politically undermine self-governance of our territory."
The Cash bill, introduced last month, remains in the Senate, and Labor is set to oppose it.
The laws that cover small amounts of common illicit recreational drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy (MDMA), ice, heroin, LSD, and amphetamines were introduced after the last territory election as a harm-reduction measure.
ACT Labor senator, and former chief minister, Katy Gallagher has accused the Coalition of picking fights where she insists none are needed.
"We've taken a view that the ACT Assembly is a democratically-elected parliament. It is a mature parliament," she said. "They are accountable to their constituents in the communities. They face election every four years."
"And it's appropriate that they're allowed to govern with the support of their community or otherwise.
"The people at the ACT will have the ultimate say on this and it's not the role of the Commonwealth government to interfere, to play games and to pretend about policy issues for which they have no responsibility for."
But Senator Canavan said the commonwealth government reserves certain rights around the capital.
![Queensland LNP senator Matt Canavan says the ACT drug laws are too risky. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong Queensland LNP senator Matt Canavan says the ACT drug laws are too risky. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/128375134/3da659da-cb3d-4a8b-8948-bf6d89e47daf.jpg/r0_356_5338_3369_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"There's nothing wrong with the commonwealth government checking and overseeing laws of this radical nature passed by a territory. It's how a federation is meant to work," he said.
The ACT laws are set to take effect from October 28.