ACTIVISTS MANIPULATING DRUG SUMMIT, SAYS MP

New South Wales Liberal MP Peter Debnam today claimed the drug summit was
being secretly manipulated by activists who wanted to relax drug laws.

Debnam is on the drug summit working group, chaired by Attorney-General Jeff
Shaw, that has agreed to a preliminary resolution to trial safe injecting
rooms and hold a heroin trial.

"It was clear to me that the proposed resolutions of the working group were
established from the beginning and nothing was going to substantially change
them," he said.

"The resolutions are weasel words, some of them directly and others
indirectly allow the fundamental decriminalisation agenda.

"I greatly regret the working groups were held in secret and not open to the
public."

His working group is examining ways of breaking the drugs and crime cycle.

It found the Health Department should trial "appropriately-supervised
self-administration facilities" and the prescription of heroin.

On other issues, the working party said police should be allowed to caution
offenders carrying small amounts of cannabis for personal use.

It said jail penalties for possessing and cultivating cannabis and for
having equipment to take the drug should be removed.

The resolutions must now be voted on by a special resolutions group, which
will make recommendations to government on its drug policy at the end of the
summit.