ALP BID TO WIN SUPPORT ON DRUG FACILITIES

The State Government yesterday unveiled a compromise plan to establish
supervised injecting facilities for heroin users, in a bid to pressure the
opposition into supporting the plan.

Detailing the Injecting Facilities Bill to State Parliament, Health Minister
John Thwaites announced that Labor would seek to allay opposition concerns
by modifying its plan for an 18-month trial of injecting facilities
throughout Melbourne.

Under the revised package, the government will first seek backing in
principle from the opposition for the facilities when parliament resumes in
August.

If the opposition agrees, local councils will then have six months to devise
a detailed plan for a facility. Parliament would then have to agree to each
facility, providing the Liberal-dominated Legislative Council with two veto
opportunities.

Mr Thwaites said the facilities would cost taxpayers about $1 million each,
with the first one unlikely to be approved before February next year.

"If it doesn't work, we'll wear the blame," he said. "All we want to do is
get them (the opposition) on board, so we can try it."

But the opposition declined to signal any support for the plan yesterday,
expressing concerns that the legislation deviated from some of the recent
recommendations of the government's Drug Policy Expert Committee.

The opposition health spokesman, Robert Doyle, said he was concerned that
the final decision for approving the facilities had apparently been taken
away from affected local residents, and given to Mr Thwaites, the facility
provider and local councils.

He said it would be difficult for the opposition to support the legislation
without knowing full details about how the facilities would operate.

The independent MP for Gippsland West, Susan Davies, who must agree to the
legislation for it to pass through the Legislative Assembly, yesterday
reaffirmed her support in principle for a trial of the facilities.

But she said she would scrutinise both the bill and the individual
agreements before making a final decision.

Mr Thwaites revealed yesterday that senior police had agreed to the proposed
police protocols to operate around the facilities.

Under the bill, possession and use of small amounts of drugs in a facility
would not be an offence. Police would maintain a high level of uniform
patrols near facilities and use their discretion over whether to charge
people found with small quantities of drugs near facilities.

"Possession or use outside the injecting facility will remain an offence,"
Mr Thwaites said.

"However, police will allow bona fide users of the facility tocome and go.
Anyone in possession of an amount of drugs which is more than for personal
use is likely to be charged."

Facility employees would not be subject to legal liability except in cases
where negligence was found. Any deaths inside the facilities would be
investigated by the State Coroner.

Final site selection would rest with Mr Thwaites, but would be away from
kindergartens, schools or areas used mainly for residential purposes. The
facilities would be for adults only.

Mr Thwaites called on the opposition to show "political courage to stop the
tragic waste of life".

"Too many people are dying, too much harm has been caused by drugs," he told
parliament.

"We must be prepared to try alternative solutions to the drugs crisis. This
bill is an important step towards saving lives, linking access to
rehabilitation, and getting the drugs nuisance off the streets."

He said the modified process would ensure that parliament was the final
arbiter of the 18-month trial, which could involve more than one facility
operating in each of the five municipalities.