Grimley wants crackdown on irresponsible drivers

DERRYN Hinch’s Justice Party MP and Member for Western Victoria Stuart Grimley is calling on state Labor to introduce jail time for repeat drug drivers in response to shared frustrations between magistrates.

Mr Grimley met with government representatives last week to express his concerns, and noted drivers caught under the impairment of illicit drugs – either once or more than once – could avoid time behind bars.

The former police officer said if jail time was made an option, drivers who repeatedly committed this offence could face an incarceration outcome rather than non-custodial penalties, which include fines (from three penalty units to 180 penalty units), loss of license, monitored participation in drink and drug driver programs and a zero BAC condition for up to three years.

Despite being “encouraged” by the Labor Government’s recent decision to pass the Road Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Bill, Mr Grimley said it did not go far enough in achieving greater safety on Australia’s roads.

“The message needs to be sent loud and clear that if you choose to smoke a joint or shoot up a point of meth and then drive, you are putting not only your own life at risk, but also the lives of innocent people going about their life.

“It blows my mind that more than seven different magistrates have been calling for the same extension of sentencing powers to make our roads safer and nothing has been done by the government.

“It was always frustrating as a police officer to have drug drivers back on the road days later, knowing they were very likely to still be under the influence, putting lives at risk.”

A recent report from the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program found Australians spent an estimated $11.3 billion on methylamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA and heroin from August 2018-2019.

It is estimated that 11.5 tonnes of methylamphetamine was consumed annually in Australia during the third year of the program, as well as 4.6 tonnes of cocaine, 2.2 tonnes of MDMA, and more than 900 kilograms of heroin.

During last week’s speech, Mr Grimley said the working group review and ongoing inquiry into road safety was due to report back in June and the results would determine the next steps forward in reducing recidivist drug driving and improving overall road safety.

“Hopefully if the government give magistrates the ability to jail repeat drug drivers, it will finally force some of these offenders to get the rehabilitation and addiction treatment they obviously need.”