INJECTING ROOMS `WERE AN OPTION'

The Victorian Government has released documents that it claims show the
Kennett administration secretly supported a trial of supervised injecting
facilities.

Premier Steve Bracks told parliament yesterday that the documents indicated
former premier Jeff Kennett considered an injecting room trial as a viable
option.

Mr Bracks said the documents, including notes from a series of confidential
meetings between Wesley Central Mission and senior Kennett government
officials, showed "quite clearly that there was a preparedness to look at
supervised injecting facilities in certain circumstances".

"Both Jeff Kennett and (former health minister) Rob Knowles were prepared to
negotiate with Wesley Central Mission for a supervised injecting facility on
the site," he said.

Mr Bracks made the point during a debate in Parliament on supervised
injecting rooms legislation.

The Premier said the Burwood and Benalla byelections had proven the
government had a mandate to test such facilities and he condemned the
opposition for deciding the block the measure in the upper house.

The documents show that last August Wesley staff on a number of occasions
met Kennett government officials including the head of the Department of
Premier and Cabinet, Bill Scales, and the department's social policy
adviser, David Adams, to discuss the establishment of injecting rooms.

At a meeting on August 5 last year public officials indicated that the
government considered injecting rooms an option but had yet to determine its
position.

At later meetings issues including the need for legislation and the
development of a media strategy were discussed.

Government backbencher Tim Holding said the documentation showed the Kennett
government was working with Wesley Central Mission to resolve issues and
deal with obstacles to a trial of injecting facilities.

Mr Holding, the member for Springvale, told parliament the documents gave
the lie to denials by Opposition Leader Denis Napthine of a secret agreement
between the Kennett government and Wesley to support a trial.

During a radio interview in June Dr Napthine said two letters from Mr
Kennett to Wesley superintendent the Reverend Tim Langley "clearly spell out
that there is no approval and no support for the development of such a
facility".

Mr Holding accused Dr Napthine of peddling "truths and half-truths to the
Victorian people".

"For his own base political interests he (Dr Napthine) has put the truth to
one side," he said.

But Dr Napthine angrily denied the allegations and accused Mr Holding of an
"absolute and gross misrepresentation of the facts. The member for
Springvale has impugned my reputation".

The Liberal leader tabled a letter he wrote to Wesley last month in which he
wrote: "I can advise you from my position as a minister in the previous
government that the government did not have a position which was supportive
of injecting facilities."

Naltrexone, a drug that is being used to help rehabilitate heroin addicts,
could be more accessible after a federal Liberal backbencher called for it
to be subsidised by the Commonwealth.

Bob Charles, who holds the Victorian seat of La Trobe, yesterday said the
heroin detoxification drug should be listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits
Scheme. Naltrexone costs between $200 and $300 a month, but would be cheaper
if it was subsidised.