OPPOSITION PUTS PRESSURE ON GOVT OVER HEROIN

The Federal Opposition says its own legal advice shows heroin injecting
rooms would not breach Australia's international treaty obligations.

The Prime Minister has sought legal opinion on whether he would have the
power to stop states setting up injecting rooms, after advice from the
United Nations that the program could contravene international drug
conventions.

But Labor leader Kim Beazley says Mr Howard is confusing injecting rooms -
which offer free needles for addicts - with a heroin trial and says even
the trial would not breach any treaty.

Mr Beazley has stated his support for injecting rooms but says Labor still
has an open mind on a heroin trial.

"We want to look at the legal advice that is associated with that," he said.

"I would believe that a reading of that section in our international
obligations would not inhibit us from conducting a heroin trial if we
wished to."