The Canberra Liberals have lashed out at the under-handed move by Labor and the Greens to force through radical changes to drug laws without a mandate.

“I disagree strongly with these laws, but I’m absolutely appalled at the process Labor and the Greens have gone through to pass them,” said Shadow Police Minister and Deputy Leader Jeremy Hanson.

“At the last election, Labor did not mention changing laws for heroin, meth or cocaine. Not before the election, and not during it. Not one word.

“Yet in the first year, a Labor member brought forward a bill to decriminalise everything, including shocking drugs like heroin and meth. The Greens tried to push it further, increasing the limit to allow months of supply to be decriminalised.

“The harm these drugs do is obvious and devastating. This approach has been tried around the world, and has led to wreckage and misery.

“Yet despite repeated calls to stop this dangerous reform from local Commonwealth police, they are determined to push through without a mandate.

“That’s why today I will move to delay the start of this Bill. It is already slated to begin in 2023, I am calling for it to start in 2024, when the people of Canberra can have their say, knowing exactly what the real plan is.

“If they are going to pursue these radical changes, it needs to be done with the knowledge and agreement of your community, not snuck through with such contempt for the community, the police, and the harms these drugs cause,” concluded Mr Hanson.