VICTORIAN GOVT CONFIDENT OPPOSITION WILL STAND BY INJECTING ROOMS

The Victorian Government expects the Opposition will not be influenced
by the Prime Minister's stance on supervised injecting rooms for
heroin users.

John Howard says the Victorian Liberals should use whatever means at
their disposal to stop the rooms being set up in five
municipalities.

The Opposition is yet to decide if it will endorse the plan which
needs bi-partisan political support.

The Premier, Steve Bracks, believes the Opposition is interested in
working towards a comprehensive, bi-partisan drugs strategy.

"I think the Liberals here in Victoria will make up their own mind in
their own time,"he said.

"They have sought further advice which they will receive and they have
had a briefing from Professor Penington.

"They of course initiated some of this work themselves when they were
in government previously and I would expect that they would act not in
a partisan political way because the Prime Minister wants them.

"But in the interests of Victoria and in the interests of harm
minimisation and saving lives."