INJECTING ROOMS IN DOUBT

Parliamentary support for a trial of supervised heroin injecting rooms in
Victoria has crumpled after two independent MPs today hardened their
opposition to the proposal.

Gippsland East MP Craig Ingram and Mildura MP Russell Savage said today
they are likely to oppose the legislation in the lower house which would
enable the trial of heroin injecting rooms in five Melbourne suburbs to go
ahead.

The legislation is due to be introduced during the current session of
parliament but will be allowed to lie over until the spring session for
public discussion and feedback on the trial.

Mr Savage told The Age Online injecting rooms were the "wrong" policy for
the government to promote.

"I'll support every strategy that tackles head-on the drug problem in our
society but that's one that I won't," he said.

"We have had a very low-key approach, a very tolerant approach to illegal
narcotic substances in our society and now we're reaping the bitter harvest
of this", he said.

Victorian Premier Steve Bracks today made a direct plea to Liberal MPs to
back the heroin injecting rooms.

The government legislation will need Liberal Party support in order to pass
through the upper house of Parliament.

Mr Bracks was still hopeful the Liberals would properly consider the
government's bill - something both Liberal leader Denis Napthine and
National Party leader Peter Ryan have promised to do.

Dr Napthine said while he and his colleagues held grave concerns about the
sort of message injecting facilities would send to the community, the party
was going through a "solid" public consultation process before coming to a
decision.

Mr Ingram told The Age Online that he had concerns about the safe injecting
facilities.

"I believe there are better ways to tackle a lot of this, including detox
and rehabilitation, and increased policing, and actual enforcement of
existing drug laws. But as it stands at the moment, I'm going to wait and
see what the legislation does ... before I make my final decision" he said.

The government has rejected establishing the trials without legislation,
which was recommended by the state drugs review headed by Dr David Penington.

Mr Bracks said he accepted that the facilities required strict legislative
protocols for police.

The government still has the support of Victoria's third independent MP,
Susan Davies, who promised not to stand in the way of the trials if they
were conducted with the support of local communities.

Ms Davies said she had been given an assurance that the first priority
would be more rehabilitation and detoxification services.

She also said she believed there were many Liberals who privately supported
the trials, but were ``too gutless'' to argue for them within the party room.

The government would have the numbers in the lower house to pass its bill
if it wins next month's Benalla by-election, but it would still face defeat
in the conservative-dominated Legislative Council.