Latest news with #CraigGarland
Daily Mail
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Australian politician pleads guilty to drug driving - as his extraordinary excuse is revealed
An independent politician who has 'smoked for quite a long time' has pleaded guilty to drug driving after failing a roadside test on a fishing trip. Craig Garland was elected to Tasmania 's parliament in March 2024 and has held a crucial balance-of-power position on the crossbench. He is campaigning for re-election at the July 19 snap election, which was triggered after a no-confidence motion passed against the state's minority Liberal premier. The 60-year-old appeared in Burnie Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with driving a motor vehicle while a prescribed illicit drug was present in his oral fluid. It related to a positive test in early November in the state's northwest. Garland pleaded guilty and will next face court for sentencing on September 15. He previously told AAP he returned a positive result from a tongue-scrape test on his way to go fishing after smoking cannabis the night prior. He said he used cannabis on-and-off for pain relief, particularly for the ongoing effects of a broken leg, but didn't have a medical prescription. 'I've smoked for quite a long time. I didn't leave it long enough before I drove but I didn't think it would be a problem,' he said in November. 'I'm not driving around whacked up or pissed (drunk). I guess you put it down to bad timing and bad management. 'I don't consider it impairing at all. It might be if you sit there and have 40 cones and whack a few beers in, but not if you're having a little one ... every now and then.' Garland, a former commercial fisherman who has voiced opposition to industrial salmon farming, has campaigned on a shoe-string budget. He previously said the charge was unlikely to be a big issue for his supporters. Garland, who supported the no-confidence motion against the premier, could again hold a powerful crossbench position after the July 19 election. Opinion polling suggests the Liberals and Labor face an uphill battle to win enough seats to form majority government.
7NEWS
26-06-2025
- Politics
- 7NEWS
Independent Tasmanian MP Craig Garland pleads guilty to driving while under the influence of cannabis
An independent politician who has 'smoked for quite a long time' has pleaded guilty to drug driving after failing a roadside test on a fishing trip. Craig Garland was elected to Tasmania's parliament in March 2024 and has held a crucial balance-of-power position on the crossbench. He is campaigning for re-election at the July 19 snap election, which was triggered after a no-confidence motion passed against the state's minority Liberal premier. The 60-year-old appeared in Burnie Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with driving a motor vehicle while a prescribed illicit drug was present in his oral fluid. It related to a positive test in early November in the state's northwest. Garland pleaded guilty and will next face court for sentencing on September 15. He previously told AAP he returned a positive result from a tongue-scrape test on his way to go fishing after smoking cannabis the night prior. He said he used cannabis on-and-off for pain relief, particularly for the ongoing effects of a broken leg, but didn't have a medical prescription. 'I've smoked for quite a long time. I didn't leave it long enough before I drove but I didn't think it would be a problem,' he said in November. 'I'm not driving around whacked up or pissed (drunk). I guess you put it down to bad timing and bad management. 'I don't consider it impairing at all. It might be if you sit there and have 40 cones and whack a few beers in, but not if you're having a little one ... every now and then.' Garland, a former commercial fisherman who has voiced opposition to industrial salmon farming, has campaigned on a shoe-string budget. He previously said the charge was unlikely to be a big issue for his supporters. Garland, who supported the no-confidence motion against the premier, could again hold a powerful crossbench position after the July 19 election. Opinion polling suggests the Liberals and Labor face an uphill battle to win enough seats to form majority government.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Independent politician pleads guilty to drug driving
An independent politician who has "smoked for quite a long time" has pleaded guilty to drug driving after failing a roadside test on a fishing trip. Craig Garland was elected to Tasmania's parliament in March 2024 and has held a crucial balance-of-power position on the crossbench. He is campaigning for re-election at the July 19 snap election, which was triggered after a no-confidence motion passed against the state's minority Liberal premier. The 60-year-old appeared in Burnie Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with driving a motor vehicle while a prescribed illicit drug was present in his oral fluid. It related to a positive test in early November in the state's northwest. Garland pleaded guilty and will next face court for sentencing on September 15. He previously told AAP he returned a positive result from a tongue-scrape test on his way to go fishing after smoking cannabis the night prior. He said he used cannabis on-and-off for pain relief, particularly for the ongoing effects of a broken leg, but didn't have a medical prescription. "I've smoked for quite a long time. I didn't leave it long enough before I drove but I didn't think it would be a problem," he said in November. "I'm not driving around whacked up or pissed (drunk). I guess you put it down to bad timing and bad management. "I don't consider it impairing at all. It might be if you sit there and have 40 cones and whack a few beers in, but not if you're having a little one ... every now and then." Garland, a former commercial fisherman who has voiced opposition to industrial salmon farming, has campaigned on a shoe-string budget. He previously said the charge was unlikely to be a big issue for his supporters. Garland, who supported the no-confidence motion against the premier, could again hold a powerful crossbench position after the July 19 election. Opinion polling suggests the Liberals and Labor face an uphill battle to win enough seats to form majority government.
Perth Now
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Perth Now
Independent politician pleads guilty to drug driving
An independent politician who has "smoked for quite a long time" has pleaded guilty to drug driving after failing a roadside test on a fishing trip. Craig Garland was elected to Tasmania's parliament in March 2024 and has held a crucial balance-of-power position on the crossbench. He is campaigning for re-election at the July 19 snap election, which was triggered after a no-confidence motion passed against the state's minority Liberal premier. The 60-year-old appeared in Burnie Magistrates Court on Thursday charged with driving a motor vehicle while a prescribed illicit drug was present in his oral fluid. It related to a positive test in early November in the state's northwest. Garland pleaded guilty and will next face court for sentencing on September 15. He previously told AAP he returned a positive result from a tongue-scrape test on his way to go fishing after smoking cannabis the night prior. He said he used cannabis on-and-off for pain relief, particularly for the ongoing effects of a broken leg, but didn't have a medical prescription. "I've smoked for quite a long time. I didn't leave it long enough before I drove but I didn't think it would be a problem," he said in November. "I'm not driving around whacked up or pissed (drunk). I guess you put it down to bad timing and bad management. "I don't consider it impairing at all. It might be if you sit there and have 40 cones and whack a few beers in, but not if you're having a little one ... every now and then." Garland, a former commercial fisherman who has voiced opposition to industrial salmon farming, has campaigned on a shoe-string budget. He previously said the charge was unlikely to be a big issue for his supporters. Garland, who supported the no-confidence motion against the premier, could again hold a powerful crossbench position after the July 19 election. Opinion polling suggests the Liberals and Labor face an uphill battle to win enough seats to form majority government.
ABC News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Tasmanian MP Craig Garland pleads guilty to a drug-driving charge
A member of Tasmanian parliament, who is standing for re-election next month, has pleaded guilty to a drug-driving charge. Craig Garland, who was elected as an independent for Braddon at the 2024 state election, appeared in the Burnie Magistrates Court on Thursday morning. He was charged with one count of driving a motor vehicle whilst a prescribed illicit drug was present in his oral fluid — stemming from a positive roadside drug test. In the context of the charge, the word "prescribed" refers to it being an illicit drug in Tasmanian legislation, not that it is a prescription drug. Mr Garland, a former commercial fisherman, told ABC Radio in November last year that he had tested positive to a roadside test whilst on his way to go fishing at Montagu, in the state's north-west. At the time, Mr Garland said he had used cannabis on and off for a long time — both recreationally and as pain relief. He said he had smoked cannabis the night before the test. Mr Garland's lawyer Scott Ashby entered a guilty plea on his behalf, which magistrate Katie Edwards accepted. The details of the offence were not read to the court as Mr Ashby sought a date later in the year for the matter to be finalised. Magistrate Edwards adjourned the case for facts, sentence and a restricted licence application on September 15. The maximum penalty for a first offence of the crime Mr Garland pleaded guilty to is a fine of 10 penalty units, which is currently $2,020; licence disqualification of 12 months; and a three-month jail term. For offenders with a previous conviction, the penalties are doubled. In certain circumstances, courts can grant offenders a restricted licence — for instance, if the loss of licence will impose a severe or unusual hardship on the offender or if no alternative transport is reasonably available. Mr Garland is hoping to be re-elected as an independent in Tasmania's parliament on July 19. According to section 34(e) of Tasmania's Constitution Act, an MP would only lose their seat if convicted of a crime and sentenced to a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.
