Ashley Hall reported this story on Monday, July 20, 2015 08:10:00

MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: The Parliament's winter break usually puts more pressure on MPs travel allowances than other time of the year, with some taking advantage of the long winter break to head overseas.



One of those is the Greens Leader Senator Richard Di Natale. He's in Portugal studying that country's radical approach to drug abuse, but he says he's paying for the trip himself.



Senator Di Natale spoke to me from Portugal a short time ago.



Richard Di Natale, you're in Portugal looking at how they're dealing with their drug problem. Why Portugal and what are the lessons for Australia?



RICHARD DI NATALE: Well the interesting thing about Portugal is that in 2001 they decided to take a very different approach to the way they dealt with the illicit drug issue.



They had a big problem with heroin and heroin use was very high. They had a number of overdoses, the spread of HIV.



They decided what they would do is treat it really as a health issue rather than a criminal justice issue.



They set up an independent panel to advise the government on the best approach and what they came back with was that the money and resources that were spent on prosecuting individual drug users should be spent on treatment, rehabilitation and ensuring that social services were provided to people who had drug addiction.



And remarkably they saw a big turnaround. They saw the use of illicit drugs largely unchanged but problematic drug use went down remarkably. Drug use amongst young people decreased. Many more people in treatment. They saw fewer cases of HIV being transmitted, fewer over dose deaths and reduced crime.



So it was a hugely successful initiative and I think there are big lessons to be learnt for countries like Australia, indeed for most countries.



MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: So they have effectively decriminalised heavy, hard drugs. Is it realistic to expect a public support for such a measure like that here in Australia?



RICHARD DI NATALE: Well it's important to remember that drug dealing continues to be a crime and in Portugal drugs are not legal, and that they do continue to prosecute and spend more enforcement resources towards addressing drug trafficking.



But for those individuals who are getting into trouble with drugs they've decided that they should be treated through the health framework rather than through the courts and it makes a lot of sense.



MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: What about ice? Because clearly that's the issue, the big drug issue that we're facing here in Australia. How are they dealing with it?



RICHARD DI NATALE: Well they don't have a huge ice issue here. Most of the issues that they face in terms of more serious illicit drug use is around heroin. So crystal methamphetamine isn't a big issue here in Portugal. There are various reasons for that.



But what they made really clear, when it came to heroin they felt that having a criminal penalty for individuals who are using the drug didn't deter them from using that drug, but what it did do is deter them from seeking treatment.



And I think the lessons are very, very similar when it comes to drugs like ice.



MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: Okay. Now, you've been away for a number of weeks. Presumably the expenses scandal that has surrounded the Speaker wouldn't have escaped your attention. Who's paying for your trip?



RICHARD DI NATALE: It's a self funded trip Michael. It's part of actually a few weeks off that I've decided to take with the family.



MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: Would you have done it as part of your parliamentary expenses?



RICHARD DI NATALE: Well, no, I don't think I would have. I think with something like this where you've decided off your own bat to investigate a problem that you could get some lessons from, I think it's something that you should pay out of your own pocket.



It's obvious that the issue of expenses is a really hot topic at the moment and, you know, what's very, very clear is that I think as parliamentarians we've got a responsibility to the taxpayer but also to our own conscience. And for something like this where I've decided that, you know, to mix what is in part a holiday and in part work that I should pay for it out of my own pocket.



And I think we should try and make it very clear where our responsibility to the taxpayer is one where we need to justify that our primary obligation here is to ensure that we're, you know, ensuring that every cent is spent sensibly, it's spent ethically.



And clearly what's happening in Australia at the moment demonstrates that there needs to be reform.



MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: Okay.



RICHARD DI NATALE: The Greens for some time have had an initiative before the Parliament to have a tribunal that would assess these sorts of claims. Unfortunately what we see time and time again is ministers who abuse their responsibility and it's about time we put an end to it.



MICHAEL BRISSENDEN: Greens leader Richard Di Natale on the phone from Portugal.