Pubdate: Fri, 13 Nov 1998 Source: Australian, The (Australia) Page: 12 Contact: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/ Copyright: 1998 Australian, The Author: David Lucas DRUG DEAL OFFENSIVE AND we thought the Federal Government understood some of the problems the Family Court was operating under, but clearly this is not the case. Let the Commonwealth find the extra $1,000,000 to defend the accused foreign drug runners from somewhere else. It should not come from, the small amount that is budgeted to the Family Court for legal aid. Mr David Re, president of the Lawyers Reform Association, said that it was difficult to choose between paying the legal costs of someone charged with a drug offence and a family law dispute. Mr Re is clearly not in touch with what is happening in the general community. Both are important, but the Family Court should not take a back seat. Fund the accused foreign drug runners some other way. David Lucas Cabramatta, NSW - ---