Should people be able to get illegal drugs checked at government-approved pill-testing services without being charged with a crime for bringing them?
Pill testing
Both houses · 3 votes
Background
The Pill Testing Bill 2024 let the Health Secretary license drug-checking services at fixed and mobile sites, where people can have a drug sample tested and get harm-reduction advice without being charged for bringing the drug there. The Government said it would run the service as a trial of up to 18 months, starting at festivals in summer 2024–25; a fixed site opened in Fitzroy in September 2025. The bill also allowed vending machines to supply naloxone, a medicine that reverses opioid overdoses.
What each side said
Summarised from the debate in Parliament, with sources below.
For “agree”
Supporters pointed to record drug deaths and coroners' recommendations for drug checking, saying "drug use is dangerous but information is powerful" (Danny Pearson, ALP, second reading, 11 Sep 2024). The Greens said "Pill testing saves lives" (Gabrielle de Vietri, 15 Oct 2024); Legalise Cannabis backed it as harm reduction, and the Libertarian supported it because people would die without such a service. Animal Justice also voted on this side.
For “disagree”
Opponents said the model was under-developed — which testing machines, how sensitive, no mandatory drug alerts, no fit and proper person test — "This is policy on the run" (Emma Kealy, Nationals, 17 Oct 2024) — and that it "sends the wrong message" to young people (Gaelle Broad, Nationals, 29 Oct 2024). The Coalition supported the naloxone machines. One Nation, the Shooters and Moira Deeming (now Family First) also voted on this side.
How the parties voted
Across the linked votes below. Second and third readings count five times as much as other votes. Parties are in alphabetical order. How this is worked out
| Party | Record | Votes with a party position |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Justice | Consistently for | 2 of 2 |
| Greens | Consistently for | 3 of 3 |
| Labor | Consistently for | 3 of 3 |
| Legalise Cannabis | Consistently for | 2 of 2 |
| Liberal | Consistently against | 3 of 3 |
| Libertarian | Consistently for | 2 of 2 |
| Nationals | Consistently against | 3 of 3 |
| One Nation | Consistently against | 2 of 2 |
| Shooters, Fishers and Farmers | Consistently against | 2 of 2 |
The votes behind this question
Each vote (division) recorded in Parliament that this question is based on, in date order.
17 October 2024 · Legislative Assembly
Drugs, Poisons And Controlled Substances Amendment (Pill Testing) Bill 2024
- Question put
- Question — That this Bill be now read a second time and a third time — put.
- Result
- Question agreed to. Ayes 51, Noes 22.
- Matches “agree”
- An Aye vote
- Weight
- Strong: a second or third reading, counted five times
- Why it's linked
- Second and third reading (Assembly). Aye = support the bill; agree = Aye.
| Party | Aye | No | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greens | 4 | 0 | Aye |
| Labor | 47 | 0 | Aye |
| Liberal | 0 | 15 | No |
| Nationals | 0 | 7 | No |
Every name (Ayes 51, Noes 22) in the vote of 17 October 2024
Ayes (51)
Colin Brooks, Josh Bull, Anthony Carbines, Ben Carroll, Sarah Connolly, Chris Couzens, Jordan Crugnale, Lily D'Ambrosio, Daniela De Martino, Steve Dimopoulos, Paul Edbrooke, Eden Foster, Matt Fregon, Ella George, Luba Grigorovitch, Bronwyn Halfpenny, Katie Hall, Paul Hamer, Sam Hibbins, Mathew Hilakari, Melissa Horne, Natalie Hutchins, Sonya Kilkenny, Nathan Lambert, Gary Maas, Alison Marchant, Kathleen Matthews-Ward, Steve McGhie, Paul Mercurio, John Mullahy, Tim Pallas, Danny Pearson, Tim Read, Pauline Richards, Tim Richardson, Ellen Sandell, Michaela Settle, Ros Spence, Nick Staikos, Natalie Suleyman, Meng Heang Tak, Nina Taylor, Kat Theophanous, Mary-Anne Thomas, Emma Vulin, Iwan Walters, Vicki Ward, Dylan Wight, Gabrielle Williams, Belinda Wilson, Gabrielle de Vietri
Noes (22)
Brad Battin, Jade Benham, Martin Cameron, Chris Crewther, Wayne Farnham, Sam Groth, Matthew Guy, David Hodgett, Emma Kealy, Tim McCurdy, Cindy McLeish, James Newbury, Danny O'Brien, Kim O'Keeffe, John Pesutto, Richard Riordan, Brad Rowswell, David Southwick, Bridget Vallence, Peter Walsh, Kim Wells, Nicole Werner
Official record: Votes and Proceedings Nos 93 to 95 (LA-60-095-05)
29 October 2024 · Legislative Council
Drugs, Poisons And Controlled Substances Amendment (Pill Testing) Bill 2024
- Question put
- 9 DRUGS, POISONS AND CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES AMENDMENT (PILL TESTING) BILL 2024 — Debate resumed on the question, That the Bill be now read a second time.
- Result
- Question agreed to. Ayes 23, Noes 16.
- Matches “agree”
- An Aye vote
- Weight
- Strong: a second or third reading, counted five times
- Why it's linked
- Second reading (Council). Aye = support the bill; agree = Aye.
| Party | Aye | No | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Justice | 1 | 0 | Aye |
| Greens | 4 | 0 | Aye |
| Labor | 15 | 0 | Aye |
| Legalise Cannabis | 2 | 0 | Aye |
| Liberal | 0 | 11 | No |
| Libertarian | 1 | 0 | Aye |
| Nationals | 0 | 2 | No |
| One Nation | 0 | 1 | No |
| Shooters, Fishers and Farmers | 0 | 1 | No |
Independents, each counted on their own: Moira Deeming (No)
Every name (Ayes 23, Noes 16) in the vote of 29 October 2024
Ayes (23)
Ryan Batchelor, John Berger, Lizzie Blandthorn, Katherine Copsey, Enver Erdogan, Jacinta Ermacora, David Ettershank, Michael Galea, Shaun Leane, David Limbrick, Sarah Mansfield, Tom McIntosh, Rachel Payne, Aiv Puglielli, Georgie Purcell, Samantha Ratnam, Harriet Shing, Ingrid Stitt, Jaclyn Symes, Lee Tarlamis, Sonja Terpstra, Gayle Tierney, Sheena Watt
Noes (16)
Melina Bath, Jeff Bourman, Gaelle Broad, Georgie Crozier, David Davis, Moira Deeming, Renee Heath, Ann-Marie Hermans, Wendy Lovell, Trung Luu, Bev McArthur, Joe McCracken, Nick McGowan, Evan Mulholland, Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, Richard Welch
Official record: Minutes of the Proceedings Nos. 89, 90 and 91 (LC-60-089-01)
29 October 2024 · Legislative Council
Drugs, Poisons And Controlled Substances Amendment (Pill Testing) Bill 2024
- Question put
- Ingrid Stitt moved, That the Bill be now read a third time and do pass.
- Result
- Question agreed to. Ayes 23, Noes 16.
- Matches “agree”
- An Aye vote
- Weight
- Strong: a second or third reading, counted five times
- Why it's linked
- Third reading (Council). Aye = support the bill; agree = Aye.
| Party | Aye | No | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Justice | 1 | 0 | Aye |
| Greens | 4 | 0 | Aye |
| Labor | 15 | 0 | Aye |
| Legalise Cannabis | 2 | 0 | Aye |
| Liberal | 0 | 11 | No |
| Libertarian | 1 | 0 | Aye |
| Nationals | 0 | 2 | No |
| One Nation | 0 | 1 | No |
| Shooters, Fishers and Farmers | 0 | 1 | No |
Independents, each counted on their own: Moira Deeming (No)
Every name (Ayes 23, Noes 16) in the vote of 29 October 2024
Ayes (23)
Ryan Batchelor, John Berger, Lizzie Blandthorn, Katherine Copsey, Enver Erdogan, Jacinta Ermacora, David Ettershank, Michael Galea, Shaun Leane, David Limbrick, Sarah Mansfield, Tom McIntosh, Rachel Payne, Aiv Puglielli, Georgie Purcell, Samantha Ratnam, Harriet Shing, Ingrid Stitt, Jaclyn Symes, Lee Tarlamis, Sonja Terpstra, Gayle Tierney, Sheena Watt
Noes (16)
Melina Bath, Jeff Bourman, Gaelle Broad, Georgie Crozier, David Davis, Moira Deeming, Renee Heath, Ann-Marie Hermans, Wendy Lovell, Trung Luu, Bev McArthur, Joe McCracken, Nick McGowan, Evan Mulholland, Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell, Richard Welch
Official record: Minutes of the Proceedings Nos. 89, 90 and 91 (LC-60-089-02)
Sources
- EM
- Second reading (Danny Pearson (for the Minister for Health, Mary-Anne Thomas, who introduced the bill), 2024-09-11)
- Opposition (Emma Kealy, 2024-10-15)
- Crossbench (Tim Read, Greens (per division record; not in current members JSON))
- Crossbench (Aiv Puglielli, The Australian Greens - Victoria)
- News: Government News (2024-11-11); ABC News (2024-12-28); Time Out Melbourne (2025-09-07)
- Full list: Sources tab (19 items).
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