THE growing link between Launceston crime and the drug ice will come under the microscope in a new federal review, Bass Liberal MHR Andrew Nikolic says. On Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Tony Abbott established a taskforce to co-ordinate a national response to the growing epidemic. Mr Abbott said the drug was ruining individuals, destroying families and hurting communities. ''The propensity for violence, the propensity to subsequent very serious mental illness, the propensity to disfigurement which ice produces means that this is a drug epidemic way beyond anything that we have seen before,'' Mr Abbott said. The Prime Minister said while governments at all levels were already addressing the problem, efforts needed to be targeted, efficient and effective. The new taskforce will be led by former Victoria Police chief commissioner Ken Lay, and overseen by Assistant Health Minister Fiona Nash and Justice Minister Michael Keenan. ''The problems is getting worse and that’s why we are ramping up our response,'' Mr Abbott said. He said the federal government would work with the states and territories to develop a national strategy. ''While these initiatives are being rolled out at the local, state and territory level, there is a role for the commonwealth government to assist in co-ordinating and assessing their effectiveness in addressing the ice epidemic,'' he said. Mr Nikolic said he had raised the ice issue with the Prime Minister previously and shared his concerns about the effects of the insidious drug. ''There are numerous local examples across Northern Tasmania that reinforces the urgency of a co-ordinated response between the Tasmanian and Federal governments,'' Mr Nikolic said. The taskforce will collect information in coming months before presenting an interim report mid-year. The Prime Minister suggested it could lead to greater funding of rehabilitation services.
THE growing link between Launceston crime and the drug ice will come under the microscope in a new federal review, Bass Liberal MHR Andrew Nikolic says.
On Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Tony Abbott established a taskforce to co-ordinate a national response to the growing epidemic.
Mr Abbott said the drug was ruining individuals, destroying families and hurting communities.
''The propensity for violence, the propensity to subsequent very serious mental illness, the propensity to disfigurement which ice produces means that this is a drug epidemic way beyond anything that we have seen before,'' Mr Abbott said.
The Prime Minister said while governments at all levels were already addressing the problem, efforts needed to be targeted, efficient and effective.
The new taskforce will be led by former Victoria Police chief commissioner Ken Lay, and overseen by Assistant Health Minister Fiona Nash and Justice Minister Michael Keenan.
''The problems is getting worse and that’s why we are ramping up our response,'' Mr Abbott said.
He said the federal government would work with the states and territories to develop a national strategy.
''While these initiatives are being rolled out at the local, state and territory level, there is a role for the commonwealth government to assist in co-ordinating and assessing their effectiveness in addressing the ice epidemic,'' he said.
Mr Nikolic said he had raised the ice issue with the Prime Minister previously and shared his concerns about the effects of the insidious drug.
''There are numerous local examples across Northern Tasmania that reinforces the urgency of a co-ordinated response between the Tasmanian and Federal governments,'' Mr Nikolic said.
The taskforce will collect information in coming months before presenting an interim report mid-year.
The Prime Minister suggested it could lead to greater funding of rehabilitation services.
