News (Media Awareness Project) - Australia: OPED: Liberal Elder Stirs Controversy With Liberal |
| Title: | Australia: OPED: Liberal Elder Stirs Controversy With Liberal |
| Published On: | 2000-08-07 |
| Source: | Age, The (Australia) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-09-03 13:32:09 |
LIBERAL ELDER STIRS CONTROVERSY WITH LIBERAL DRUG STANCE
By design or accident, Sir Rupert Hamer's intervention in the heroin debate threatens to cause substantial discomfort to Opposition Leader Denis Napthine.
With Liberal MPs showing increasing signs that they will reject Labor's bid for a trial of injecting facilities, the last thing they wanted was one of their elder statesmen to make a direct public appeal for them to embrace the plan.
Sir Rupert, through the letters page of this newspaper, has previously urged support for the facilities, but today's contribution is more potent, both in content and timing.
Moreover, he has lobbed his political hand grenade without consulting either Dr Napthine or Robert Doyle, the party's health spokesman charged with leading the debate for the opposition.
As one senior Liberal said yesterday: "This is just shocking. He has made no contact with us whatsoever.
"If he was fair dinkum he would have come and talked to us. Instead he's chosen to have a conversation through your newspaper with the public of Victoria.
"What he's done is appalling."
Dr Napthine was more circumspect, conceding yesterday that he would have liked Sir Rupert to "have picked up the phone" rather than communicate through the media without his knowledge.
With the opposition keen to pursue the government over the IVF issue and WorkCover, neither Dr Napthine nor Mr Doyle wants the political focus to return to their deliberations over injecting rooms.
But Sir Rupert's contribution is certain to be seized on by advocates of injecting facilities, who will seek to portray him as a moderate voice in the drugs debate.
Not only does Sir Rupert argue that support for the facilities would send out a message of compassion and hope for drug addicts and their families, he responds specifically to the concerns expressed by the Liberals about the plan.
In doing so, Sir Rupert states unequivocally that it would be unacceptable for the Liberal party room to deny support for at least a trial of the facilities.
That said, Sir Rupert's plea may do little ultimately to dissuade Liberal MPs who, according to senior figures, appear likely to kill off the plan.
By design or accident, Sir Rupert Hamer's intervention in the heroin debate threatens to cause substantial discomfort to Opposition Leader Denis Napthine.
With Liberal MPs showing increasing signs that they will reject Labor's bid for a trial of injecting facilities, the last thing they wanted was one of their elder statesmen to make a direct public appeal for them to embrace the plan.
Sir Rupert, through the letters page of this newspaper, has previously urged support for the facilities, but today's contribution is more potent, both in content and timing.
Moreover, he has lobbed his political hand grenade without consulting either Dr Napthine or Robert Doyle, the party's health spokesman charged with leading the debate for the opposition.
As one senior Liberal said yesterday: "This is just shocking. He has made no contact with us whatsoever.
"If he was fair dinkum he would have come and talked to us. Instead he's chosen to have a conversation through your newspaper with the public of Victoria.
"What he's done is appalling."
Dr Napthine was more circumspect, conceding yesterday that he would have liked Sir Rupert to "have picked up the phone" rather than communicate through the media without his knowledge.
With the opposition keen to pursue the government over the IVF issue and WorkCover, neither Dr Napthine nor Mr Doyle wants the political focus to return to their deliberations over injecting rooms.
But Sir Rupert's contribution is certain to be seized on by advocates of injecting facilities, who will seek to portray him as a moderate voice in the drugs debate.
Not only does Sir Rupert argue that support for the facilities would send out a message of compassion and hope for drug addicts and their families, he responds specifically to the concerns expressed by the Liberals about the plan.
In doing so, Sir Rupert states unequivocally that it would be unacceptable for the Liberal party room to deny support for at least a trial of the facilities.
That said, Sir Rupert's plea may do little ultimately to dissuade Liberal MPs who, according to senior figures, appear likely to kill off the plan.
Member Comments |
No member comments available...
