Pubdate: Tue, 20 Mar 2001
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2001 The Age Company Ltd
Contact:  250 Spencer Street, Melbourne, 3000, Australia
Website: http://www.theage.com.au/
Forum: http://forums.f2.com.au/login/login.asp?board=TheAge-Talkback
Author: Darren Gray

PM DENIES PURGE IN DRUG BODY

The Federal Opposition has attacked the overhaul of the government's main 
drugs advisory body, claiming it removes the members who disagree with the 
Prime Minister's views on zero tolerance.

Opposition health spokeswoman Jenny Macklin said: "We need many solutions 
to the drug problem and certainly zero tolerance by itself is not going to 
work."

But Prime Minister John Howard yesterday rejected suggestions that he had 
purged the drugs body, replacing advocates of drug law reform with hardliners.

Mr Howard said the reports were wrong. "Any suggestion that members of the 
Australian National Council on Drugs are chosen because they support one 
particular approach to drugs policy runs contrary to the central ethos of 
the council.

"The ANCD is made up of people who have a wide range of experience and 
expertise on various aspects of drug policy ranging from treatment and 
rehabilitation, education, law enforcement, research and work at the 
coalface in a community organisation," he said.

Despite speculation on the council's membership, the government yesterday 
refused to name the new members.

Mr Howard is tipped to release their names at a function in Brisbane today.

David Crosbie, former head of the Alcohol and Other Drugs Council of 
Australia and now the head of Odyssey House, will be one of the group's new 
members. Last night Mr Crosbie said he was not a hardliner on drugs.

"I have been a public advocate for heroin trials and safe injecting 
facilities for many years," he said. "I don't believe that they're the 
solution to the drug problem. I have always argued for evidence-based drug 
policy."

Mr Crosbie said he supported drug diversion programs, supervised injecting 
rooms, needle and syringe exchanges and methadone programs.

Committee member Margaret Hamilton, the director of the Turning Point 
Alcohol and Drug Service, said it was important that the committee had a 
mix of views.
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