OPPOSITION TO INJECTING FACILITIES HARDENS

The Victorian Government is facing stiffening resistance from the opposition
to its proposed trial of supervised injecting facilities.

Liberal Party sources said a compromise plan proposed by Health Minister
John Thwaites to win support for the trial had had the opposite effect. It
is understood the biggest concern is that the opposition would be required
to give in-principle support to a trial of supervised injecting facilities
before detailed plans, including placement and management, are drawn up.

Under the government's revised plans, the opposition would be asked to give
in-principle support for the facilities when parliament resumes in August.

If that was achieved, councils would then have six months to draw up
detailed plans for injecting rooms. Parliament would have to approve each
facility, effectively giving the Liberal-dominated upper house two
opportunities to veto the trial.

Privately, many Liberal MPs are unhappy with the process, believing the
government is trying to "trap" them. But Mr Thwaites accused the opposition
of trying to "have it both ways".

He said the opposition had asked to be fully involved in the development and
supervision of injecting room proposals, and the government had given them
the opportunity. "They can't then turn around and reject that."

Mr Thwaites said the opposition was simply being asked if it would ever
support supervised injecting facilities. "If the answer is no then we should
not waste hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless hours of work
putting proposals together," he said.

Opposition spokesman on health Robert Doyle said there were other issues
which had to be addressed before the Liberal and National parties could
consider supporting the government's initiative.

Mr Doyle said a huge concern was the failure of the government to stipulate
that supervised injecting facilities should not be near shops or on major
roads. Mr Doyle said that in his report on injecting facilities, David
Penington had stipulated that they be prohibited from such areas but the
government had not included the condition in its legislation. Dr Penington
said the omission was a typographical error.

Mr Doyle also said he was concerned about the role given to councils in the
process because some did not represent the views of their communities.

He said some of the councils which will be asked to support the trial were
dominated by Labor-endorsed councillors, who would be ordered to support the
government's policy despite residents' concerns.

But Mr Thwaites said it was ridiculous to accuse councils of not
representing their communities.

City of Port Phillip Mayor Julian Hill said his council was "very
representative" of his community, and had been consulting widely on
injecting rooms for the past year.

Mr Hill said he was aware of a directive issued by Premier Steve Bracks to
Labor Party MPs and officials, telling them not to pressure councils over
the matter.

"I think it (Mr Doyle's comment) is a stupid, throwaway line," he said.