LABOR TO PUSH ON WITH HEROIN TRIAL

The Victorian Government has vowed to push ahead with plans for a
trial of supervised injecting rooms despite criticism from a United
Nations drugs agency and the Federal Government.

The Health Minister, Mr John Thwaites, said he was "absolutely
convinced" that Victoria should have supervised injecting facilities.

Mr Thwaites said the Government was on track to introduce supervised
injecting rooms by the end of the year.

He also backed drugs policy adviser, Dr David Penington, in accusing
the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard, of using the UN drugs agency, the
International Narcotics Control Board, for political purposes.

Mr Thwaites made his comments as the Prime Minister launched an attack
on Dr Penington, saying claims that he had influenced the UN agency to
produce a report attacking injecting rooms in Australia were offensive.

In a statement headed "Penington's claim is wrong", Mr Howard said Dr
Penington had no evidence to substantiate the claim.

"He has admitted that he had no evidence to back his unfair claim
about my office. In those circumstances therefore, Dr Penington should
never have made the claim."

But Dr Penington said he had received advice from senior legal counsel
regarding correspondence between the INCB and Mr Howard's office,
which suggested that cooperation between the two had taken place.

Dr Penington said the legal advice had focused on a letter dated 17
November sent to Mr Howard from the INCB president, Antonio Martins,
which made a reference to the Sydney Olympics which was most likely to
have been inspired by communications between the INCB and the Prime
Minister's office.

In its annual report released on Wednesday INCB warned Australia that
if it proceeded with a trial of supervised injecting rooms it would be
"aiding in the commission of crimes" and "facilitating illicit drug
trafficking".

But in an interview with The Age Dr Penington said it appeared that
the board's criticisms of the planned heroin injecting rooms had been
strongly influenced by either Mr Howard or his office.

Mr Thwaites said it appeared more than coincidental that the agency
was criticising proposals for injecting rooms in Australia while
remaining silent in Europe, which has more than 40 of the facilities.

Mr Thwaites said a visit to European supervised injecting operations
earlier this year had left him "absolutely convinced" that they should
be tested in Victoria.