POLICE — ROADSIDE CANNABIS TEST MACHINES
430. Hon Dr BRIAN WALKER to the minister representing the
Minister for Police:
I thank the minister for his
response to my question without notice 350, asked and answered on 23 June 2021,
on the devices in use in Western Australia for roadside drug testing. I seek
further clarification from the minister.
(1) Which agency
or firm determined an accuracy rate for the Securetec DrugWipe II Twin Combo
for testing cannabis at 98 per cent?
(2) Is the
minister aware of a 2019 study conducted by the Lambert Initiative for
Cannabinoid Therapeutics at the University of Sydney and published in the
journal Drug testing and analysis, which found the Securetec DrugWipe to
have an accuracy rate for cannabis testing, which included a five per cent
false positive return, alongside a 10 per
cent false negative return, well below the figure that the minister provided
in his previous answer?
(3) How does the minister explain
this difference in findings?
(4) If he has not
yet had an opportunity to consider the Lambert Initiative report in detail,
might I seek leave to table a copy, for the consideration of the government,
alongside all members of this house?
Hon
STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question. The following information has been provided to me
by the Minister for Police.
(1) The Western Australia Police Force advised the
accuracy rate is based on the current testing regime and the data available at
23 June 2021. Further, if a test on the twin combo displays positive, a sample
is forwarded to the Chemistry Centre of Western Australia for analysis. These
returns are for any drugs detected.
(2) No.
(3)–(4) Not
applicable.
The PRESIDENT:
Member, are you tabling that document?
Hon Dr BRIAN
WALKER: I seek leave to table this document.
[Leave granted. See paper 437.]