Tasmanian government defends ice approach

The Tasmanian government has been urged to play a greater role in combating the state's growing ice addiction problem, labelled as a crisis in parliament by the Greens who have cited a months-long wait by some addicts seeking treatment.

MP Rosalie Woodruff on Tuesday told parliament it wasn't good enough for the Liberal administration to rely on the federal government and community sector to deal with the problem, but Health Minister Michael Ferguson rejected any claim his department was sitting on its hands.

"The government has been very strong in our work to combat illegal drug use," he said, noting Commonwealth funds have flowed to the island state to help fight the problem.