SENIOR LIBS SPLIT OVER HEROIN TRIAL

A DRAMATIC split has opened between Denis Napthine and key frontbencher
Robert Doyle over the Opposition's heroin policy.The Opposition Leader has
claimed debate about a heroin trial -- where governments would give the drug
to hard-core addicts -- was a waste of time.

"I think anything to do with proposals of prescription-heroin trials is a
furphy, a red herring, heading off in a different direction," he told the
Herald Sun.

"It is a dead issue because it hasn't got the support of other states and
territories, of both political persuasions, or the Federal Government."

His hard line was at odds with shadow health minister Mr Doyle, who
yesterday put a prescribed-heroin trial on the agenda by giving it his
personal backing.

"Although I can't speak for my entire party on this, I would say personally
I am very much in favor of it and I think it is something I would try in the
future to convince my party to support," Mr Doyle said.

The Federal Government two years ago scuttled ACT plans for a heroin trial
and Prime Minister John Howard remains opposed.

Such a trial would win support from Victoria's Labor and Liberal parties,
which both backed the ACT proposal, but Dr Napthine said it was not on the
agenda.

And hopes of bipartisan support for supervised injecting rooms were dealt a
blow yesterday with the government and opposition indulging in a slanging
match.

Premier Steve Bracks on Monday said Liberal MPs would be "turning their back
on the hundreds of Victorians dying from heroin overdoses" if they failed to
support a trial of injecting rooms.

Dr Napthine said Mr Bracks should apologise to Liberal MPs.

"I think the words the Premier used yesterday were absolutely uncalled for,
an insult to the members of the Liberal Party and absolutely contrary to any
spirit of bipartisanship," he said.

An angry Mr Doyle accused the government of playing politics.

"I think using people's deaths as a stick to try to beat the Liberal Party
is just offensive," he said.