Canberra Skeptics

About Us

Canberra Skeptics Incorporated is a non-profit association incorporated in the Australian Capital Territory for the purpose of promoting critical thinking. While it is a branch of the Australian Skeptics, the two organisations are independent. For more details about the Australian Skeptics - visit their website at http://www.skeptics.com.au/ .

Coming Events

Canberra Social Skeptics - Skeptics in the Pub

Meet every third Sunday at King O’Malley’s Irish Pub located at 131 City Walk, Canberra City. For further details visit their website at - http://www.meetup.com/SocialSkepticsCanberra/

The Great Debate – Should Illegal Drug Laws Be Changed?

Date: 12 June 2012
Time 6.00-7.30pm
Location: Lecture Theatre,CSIRO Discovery Centre, Clunies Ross Street,
Acton, ACT 2601

Members Free/Non-Members Gold Coin Donation

The topic of illicit drugs in Australia is a topic that attracts continued controversy. Some argue that drug policy should continue to remain based on the principle of prohibition while others argue that such prohibition should be repealed. Canberra Skeptics Inc. proudly presents 4 speakers who will debate whether or not to keep the status quo on illicit drug legislation.

Speakers for the status quo

GARY CHRISTIAN is the Secretary and Research Director of Drug Free Australia (DFA). From 2000-2003 he was the President of Hassela Australia Teen Drug Rehabilitation program and in 1999 was the Co-founder of the Cabramatta ADRAcare Centre for drug dependent and homeless people of the area. He was also in senior management in the Australian welfare industry and from 1986-1987 he was the co-writer of the Quit Now Stop Smoking Program.

COLLISS PARRETT is a fellow of Drug Free Australia, but tonight speaks in his own right. During the 1950’s-1970’s he worked for the Commonwealth Department of Immigration and was posted to the United Kingdom, the Middle East and Mauritius. From the 1970’s to 1993 he worked in the Commonwealth Department of Health, initially in the Occupational Health Branch and then the Drugs of Dependence Branch, where he was co-initiator of smoking bans in the public service, Action buses, enclosed public areas, and aircraft . Upon retiring in 1993 he formed the organisation Make Illicit Drugs Socially Unacceptable, and continues to argue against the policy of harm minimisation/reduction.

Speakers against the status quo

PAUL CUBITT is the President of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP) Australia. He has over a decade’s experience working in prisons across New South Wales and at the Human Rights prison in the ACT. This experience includes work to a level of Deputy Governor, minimum security through to super-maximum security as well as elite units and a secondment into the policy section.

MICHAEL MOORE is the CEO of the Public Health Association of Australia. He jointly founded the Australian Parliamentary Group for Drug Law Reform the early 1990s and was responsible for the decriminalisation of cannabis in the ACT and a series of other drug law reforms. He is a former Minister of Health and Community Care and was an Independent member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly for four terms from 1989 to 2001. He was the first Australian Independent Member to be appointed as a Minister to a Government Executive.

Dinner will follow the lecture (venue tbc). To RSVP for dinner please email at mail@canberraskeptics.org.au