Pubdate: Tue, 13 Jun 2000
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2000 David Syme & Co Ltd
Contact:  250 Spencer Street, Melbourne, 3000, Australia
Website: http://www.theage.com.au/
Author: Ewin Hannan, State Editor

INJECTING TRIAL AT NEW HURDLE

Plans for supervised injecting facilities are under a new cloud after
the Victorian Government yesterday rejected opposition demands that
the specific locations of the facilities be identified by August.

Opposition Leader Denis Napthine said yesterday that the government
had an obligation to identify site locations before the Liberal Party
decided whether to support the idea.

Dr Napthine said it was difficult for the Liberals to support Labor's
plan as it was an "abstract, leap in the dark" proposal.

While the opposition had not yet made a formal decision, he said he
believed the proposed facilities did not have broad community support
at this stage.

"You would be brave thinking we were going to support it," he said.
The government requires the support of Liberal MPs to ensure passage
of the proposed injecting room legislation through both houses of parliament.

Labor is seeking support in principle for the bill when parliament
resumes in August. The Liberals will have a second veto opportunity
when the detailed plans for individual facilities are subsequently put
before parliament.

Dr Napthine said the government should use the next two months to work
with local councils and identify facility locations. Labor also should
amend the proposed evaluative process for the facilities to include an
assessment of drug use in the affected area.

He questioned whether the government was genuinely committed to
setting up the facilities given the process adopted and whether Labor
was privately "hoping like hell they don't get up".

But acting Health Minister Browyn Pike accused the opposition of
"fear-mongering", and said the government was committed to following
the process already established.

Ms Pike said the opposition should be willing to support an 18-month
trial, rather than trying to unnecessarily frustrate the process.

She said while some councils might be able to identify site locations
before August, others might need more time to grapple with the issue.

"We call on the opposition to stop playing politics with people's
lives," she said yesterday.

The City of Greater Dandenong is expected to vote tonight at a council
meeting on whether to support the trial of an injecting facility in
Springvale. The motion was deferred at last month's meeting pending a
report on the council's public consultation process.

This included a heated public meeting at Springvale Town Hall in May,
where 90per cent of the 1000 people who attended registered their
opposition to a trial.
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