Family Drug Support 2024 Annual Report

13 FDS at NSW Parliament The 99ers: Lessons from the 1999 Drug Summit Family Drug Support Founder and CEO, Tony Trimingham attended NSW Parliament in November 2023 to build on the foundations of the 1999 summit and reflect on the powerful impacts of harm reduction programs as we look towards the NSW Drug Summit 2024 … On Wednesday the 29th of November, the Fair Treatment Campaign held an event in Parliament, bringing together key voices in government and drug law reform to reflect and build towards the future. In attendance were politicians from all major parties, members of the drug and alcohol sector, and people with lived experience of drug dependency. The aim was to revisit the watershed event led by former premier Bob Carr, the five-day parliamentary drug summit of 1999, which led to Australia’s first injecting room in Sydney’s King’s Cross, among other reforms. Both the NSW Health Minister, The Hon. Michael Holland, representing NSW Health Minister the Hon. Ryan Park and Shadow NSW Health Minister, the Hon. Matt Kean spoke. Two politicians that were present and involved within the 1999 Summit, The Hon. Carmel Tebbutt, and the Hon Bob Carr were key players, spruiking the effectiveness of the format of the drug summit, especially the bipartisan engagement, for creating good policy. A panel discussion with participants from 1999 , featuring Dr Annie Madden, Dr Ingrid Van Beek, Garth Popple, FDS’ Tony Trimingham and Clover Moore rounded out the day. Dr Annie Madden, Tony Trimingham, Carmel Tebbutt and Bob Carr Carmel Tebbutt, Bob Carr