Roadside testing is failing our drivers and ignoring the real evidence

The dangerous reality of outdated laws

As a medical doctor, I see the human side of medicine every single day. I see patients trying to improve their quality of life, using prescribed treatments to manage pain or sleep. Yet, we have a system that cruelly ignores the medical reality of these prescriptions. I recently heard from a man who relies on his van for his livelihood, for his tools, and for his very survival. Because he uses prescribed medicinal cannabis, he lives in constant fear. The fear is not of being impaired, but of a broken, unscientific system that can strip him of his licence even when he is completely fit to drive. This is not just bureaucracy; it is a waiting room where hard-working citizens face the loss of their home and their future because of a flawed test.

When evidence is treated as an option

In this House, we are meant to champion evidence. Instead, we have a standard pattern of behaviour from the major parties: ignore, delay, and hide. We have seen reports and expert working groups tasked with fixing these injustices, only for the findings to be buried. I have spent time looking into these buried papers and the pattern is clear. When people ask for transparency, we are met with silence. If you are frustrated by a system that refuses to listen to reason, I invite you to subscribe to my YouTube channel to keep up to date with my work in Parliament.

Prioritising headlines over human lives

We are told that current testing keeps us safe, yet the statistics tell a different story. Roadside deaths continue to climb, often driven by factors like sleep deprivation or medications that are not being tested for at all. We are penalising the presence of a metabolite while ignoring true impairment. It is a manifest injustice. The government claims to listen to the people, yet when faced with the chance to fix a broken law, they offer nothing but excuses and further delays. I refuse to accept this as the status quo. We need a government that acts on science rather than one that hides behind empty reviews. You can read my full statement to the Legislative Council here. If you are tired of this inaction, I encourage you to join us at Legalise Cannabis WA as we continue the fight for a fair and evidence-based future.