ACT GOVERNMENT MAY FOLD OVER INJECTING ROOM

The minority Liberal Government of the Australian Capital Territory
could fall as a result of a row over a supervised heroin injecting
room.

A defiant Chief Minister Kate Carnell insisted yesterday she had no
intention of resigning after the Labor opposition, a Green and two
independents in the Legislative Assembly blocked the territory budget
late on Thursday night.

Ms Carnell holds government in the 17-member assembly with five other
Liberals and the support of four independents.

One independent, drugs campaigner Michael Moore, is her Health
Minister.

Ms Carnell and Mr Moore were supported by Labor and Greens MLA Kerrie
Tucker when they voted several months ago to set up an injecting room
in Canberra.

That move was vehemently opposed by two former policemen, Paul Osborne
and Dave Rugendyke, elected as independents on a strong law and order
platform, and by some of Ms Carnell's fellow Liberals.

They voted against the inclusion in the budget of funding for the
injecting room. Ms Tucker voted against parts of the budget because of
environmental concerns.

The saga is built on a mass of contradictions, not least of which is
the fact that Ms Carnell produced the territory's first budget in the
black since self-government a decade ago.

Labor has demanded Ms Carnell's resignation but could be put in the
position of having to use that budget to run the territory with the
help of any independents it could win over.

If that happened, Ms Carnell says that she would not vote against the
budget her team created.

Labor is committed to supporting the injecting room so Mr Osborne and
Mr Rugendyke could end up with a Labor government and the injecting
room they do not want.

Ms Carnell says the territory's constitution guarantees supply for the
next six months so there is no possibility of money running out.

The assembly is not scheduled to sit again until August.