BRACKS WARNS OF TOUGH LINE ON DRUG DEALERS

Drug dealers could face harsher penalties under a review of sentencing laws
being carried out by the Victorian Government.

Premier Steve Bracks yesterday confirmed that the review, being carried out
by the Justice Department, would examine sentencing for drug traffickers.

Mr Bracks said he was concerned about the perception that drug dealers were
dealt with too leniently by the legal system, adding that "prosecution and
policing is one of the key arms of our drug strategy".

The Premier said anyone caught trafficking in illegal drugs would "feel the
full force of the law".

But the Premier ruled out introducing mandatory sentencing for drug
offenders, and said those with drug addictions should be given the
opportunity and support to break the drug cycle.

The Premier was speaking at the opening of a residential drug withdrawal
service for young users in Surrey Hills.

While backing a crackdown on drug pushers, the Premier dismissed a
suggestion by city traders for $2million of Melbourne City Council funds to
be directed into policing.

Melbourne's major retailers also moved yesterday to condemn the plan, posed
by a breakaway retail association, that would result in Melbourne City
Council funding police in a zero-tolerance approach to the city's heroin
trade.

Ms Vivienne Atkinson, acting chairwoman of the City Centre Executive, whose
members include Myer, David Jones and Daimaru, spoke at last night's meeting
of the council's environment committee and said the major stores strongly
opposed the plan put forward by a rebel group, the Central City Retailers
forum.

The group, which formed nine months ago to represent 400 retailers with
outlets solely in the city, had called for $2million to be diverted from the
council's marketing budget to extra policing in the city's centre.

A member of the rebel group, Peter Sheppard, whose shoe store has traded in
Elizabeth Street for almost 40 years, said the large chain stores didn't
represent city retailers because their suburban shops benefited from
downturns in city trading.

He said city traders were willing to accept a levy to fund the police to
continue their recent blitz on drug use in the city.