BRACKS BLASTS ADS

National Party television advertisements warning Benalla electors that
a vote for Labor was a vote for drug injecting houses were condemned
as appalling politics by the Premier, Steve Bracks, yesterday.

But National Party leader Peter Ryan defended the advertisements and
denied they meant his party had decided to reject legislation to
establish injecting facilities.

Mr Bracks said the advertisements were a "pretty miserable effort" by
the National Party before this Saturday's byelection.

"I think using the fact that more than 100 people have died from
heroin overdoses this year is just inappropriate," he told 3AW.

"I think all political parties are better served by sticking to the
issues of concern to the region," he said.

The Labor Party has proposed establishing five injecting houses in
metropolitan Melbourne.

Mr Ryan said yesterday the advertisements did not mean the
parliamentary party had reached a position on injecting facilities,
although the National Party conference last month in Bendigo carried
motions against their establishment.

He said National Party MPs met yesterday with the chairman of the
government's Drug Policy Expert Committee, David Penington, and the
party would decide its policy position "in due course".

Mr Ryan said country Victorians were worried about the establishment
of facilities, which had not been categorically ruled out for
non-metropolitan regions.

"The Mayor of Ballarat, for example, recently called for the
establishment of one in Ballarat," he said.

"(The advertisement) is confronting, I accept that," he said. "But
that is the reality of the sort of circumstances that people are faced
with if they support the delivery of these injecting rooms."

The Government needs the support of two of the three independents to
get legislation through the lower house, and the support of the
Liberal Party in the upper house.

Two independents have indicated they will not back the proposal, while
the Liberal Party has yet to make a decision, despite Opposition
Leader Denis Napthine expressing reservations.