ZERO TOLERANCE TOO EXPENSIVE

A zero tolerance policy to fight the use of illegal drugs would be
impossible to introduce in South Australia without increased federal
funding, Premier John Olsen said today.

Mr Olsen said the New York model, which Prime Minister John Howard praised
yesterday as spectacularly successful, had required the introduction of
30,000 extra police officers to carry out.

"We have no headroom in our budget, it is well identified that we have no
headroom to put in place a zero tolerance policy, if that's what we believe
to be right, and I'm yet to be convinced that it is right," Mr Olsen told
reporters.

"I think a mix of other policies perhaps might be as effective; we don't
have the financial resources to put in place the police resources to
effectively achieve a zero tolerance.

"I would have thought that the focus of the Commonwealth financial
contributions to the states would have to change to effectively put that in
place."

Mr Olsen said his mind was open to the possibility of a heroin trial but a
state parliamentary committee was investigating the issue and he would
reserve judgment until all the evidence was given.

"I want to wait for the outcome of that select committee and give an
opportunity to people who will understand the opportunities and threats of
a heroin trial to put those forward so we can make a good value judgment
about proceeding," he said.

Mr Olsen said all state premiers were likely to meet in the next week to
discuss both zero tolerance and heroin trials and Australia needed a
uniform approach.

"I would like to see a concerted mix of policies put in place by
governments, state and federal, to, in a concerted and meaningful way,
tackle the drug trade in this country," he said.

"If there's an insidious trade that every leader in every political party
in this country ought to have a single-minded focus on, it is that."

South Australian Police Commissioner Mal Hyde said he would support a
heroin trial that was properly constructed.

"I am prepared to give qualified support to a properly constructed trial,
but heroin trials alone should not be seen as a panacea, as solutions are
more complex," Mr Hyde said in a statement.

"Enormous care would need to be taken to avoid sending any wrong messages,
such as appearing to condone the use and trade of illicit drugs or
attracting people to any one jurisdiction to acquire illicit drugs."