VICTORIA SET TO START HEROIN TRIAL

Victoria was prepared to ``go it alone'' with a Swiss-style heroin trial in
the state's hospitals, the Premier, Mr Jeff Kennett, said yesterday.

Until now, Mr Kennett's support for a heroin trial was conditional on other
capital cities following suit. But with today's special premiers' meeting on
drugs unlikely to endorse a national trial, Mr Kennett said he was prepared
to take a lead.

``If the Prime Minister would give us permission here in Victoria to trial
heroin utilising our hospitals, then I'd be prepared to go it alone,'' he
said.

But he conceded he was fighting an uphill battle, given the Prime Minister,
Mr John Howard's rigid opposition to a trial. Of the leaders attending
today's meeting, the Australian Capital Territory's Chief Minister, Ms Kate
Carnell, supports heroin trials, South Australian Premier, Mr John Olsen is
open-minded, and the West Australian Premier, Mr Richard Court and
Queensland's Mr Peter Beattie are opposed.

Absent from this afternoon's talks will be the NSW Premier, Mr Bob Carr, the
new Northern Territory Chief Minister, Mr Denis Burke, and the Tasmanian
Premier, Mr Jim Bacon. Mr Carr is in the midst of an election campaign; Mr
Burke is just four weeks into his new job and Mr Bacon has a previous
engagement.

Mr Kennett said it was sad that the Prime Minister had closed his mind to a
trial, and urged him and other Liberals to reconsider.

In a veiled criticism on ABC's youth radio station JJJ, Mr Kennett said:
``If you're not prepared to try something a little outside of your own
sphere, then you're really saying: `Look, we're going to do our best but we
know people are going to die'.''

Mr Kennett also accused unnamed federal colleagues of jealousy and
insecurity for suggesting he was grandstanding on the drugs issue and
undermining Mr Howard's leadership. Mr Kennett said his only motivation was
to try to stop people from dying at a rate of one a day.

His proposal, which received unqualified support from the State Opposition
yesterday, was for a Swiss-style controlled prescription trial of 1000 or
more dependent heroin users.

Mr Kennett said he would still need federal support to conduct a trial in
Melbourne hospitals, which Ms Carnell and the State Opposition have queried.

It is believed any attempt by Victoria to manufacture its own pure heroin
supply for a trial could jeopardise Tasmania's $80million legal
opium-growing industry, under strict protocols with the International
Narcotics Board.

- - with Darren Gray