"More people will die" at music festivals under a Labor state government, Dubbo MP and Police Minister Troy Grant has claimed.
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The statement - which has been condemned by Country Labor candidate Stephen Lawrence - came in response to questions about the NSW Coalition and Labor's contrasting policies around pill-testing and enforcement, after a string of drug-related deaths at music festivals in recent months.
Mr Grant defended the government's new "user-pay arrangements" - a $650 licence fee on 14 events deemed high risk.
A heightened police presence at the weekend's Ultra music festival at Parramatta saw almost 400 attendees searched and ten charged with drug supply.
Police issued 29 revellers with criminal infringement notices for possession of MDMA or cocaine, and 13 cannabis cautions, while another ten people were taken to Westmead Hospital.
Mr Grant admitted it was difficult to measure the success of the police presence, saying "only time will be the true indicator, and lack of deaths".
"We're not trying to over-police or bring in a police state to these events, we are simply holding the organisers to the duty of care that they have to the festival-goers," Mr Grant said.
"I'm not expecting a change of government and I am horrified that that is the prospect because a Labor government would be disastrous for music festivals.
"More people will die because they're flippant about their policies."
Mr Lawrence labelled Mr Grant's comments "disgusting".
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"Labor policy is evidence-based," he said.
"We will convene a drug summit and we have an open mind on the question of pill-testing and we'll be guided on the evidence and the outcomes of the summit.
"These comments from Troy Grant lack restraint and wisdom. It's the kind of self-righteous and overheated approach that led to the failure of his deputy premiership.
"He will leave no legacy whatsoever on social policy issues."
Mr Grant went on to question Labor's record of delivering in regional NSW.
"Nothing will get built," the Dubbo MP said at the start of another phase of the Dubbo Hospital redevelopment.
"Things will get stopped.
"The Labor opposition already said they're going to review everything so she'll be a shut up shop NSW sign going out and the message is very clear across NSW, in regional seats in particular, if you vote independents you get a Labor government and we've seen right here at Dubbo Hospital what happened.
"Ten years we were promised this hospital and they delivered nothing. We've been here eight years and look what's been developed already and look what's coming. It's been remarkable and people's lives change as a result."
In response, Mr Lawrence said people were "tired of Troy carrying on like he is single handedly responsible for the hospital redevelopment".
"He takes all the credit for the good stuff and none for the bad stuff, like the politician from central casting," Mr Lawrence continued.
"The truth is that significant state developments like the Dubbo hospital redevelopment are many years in the planning and come to fruition always over considerable time.
"The reality is this project was kicked off under Labor. Troy of course takes the credit for its continuation, though frankly he seems to understand almost nothing about health policy so I query how much involvement he really had beyond signing off on the work of public servants."
