NATS TO ARGUE FOR HEROIN HAND-OUTS

THE National Party of Western Australia will consider heroin trials for
registered addicts as part of a broad drug reform platform when the party
holds its annual conference this weekend.

The trial is one of several contentious issues to be debated by the party,
which will also vote on recommendations to relax Federal Government
restrictions against foreign doctors prepared to practise in rural areas
and to retain a controlling public share of Telstra.

The party's State council earlier this year approved steps towards the
decriminalisation of marijuana, with first and second-time users to be
issued infringement notices rather than taken to court.

Under the proposed heroin trials, supported by a resolution from the
party's socially progressive Metropolitan branch, addicts would be given a
tightly supervised legal supply of heroin or other hard drugs in a program
primarily aimed at reducing drug-related crime.

The reforms go further than those adopted by the Victorian Government,
under which first-time marijuana and hard-drug users are warned rather than
prosecuted.

Party member and sponsor of the resolution Paul Clune said the trial would
be largely based on the heroin administration program in Switzerland, which
according to figures supplied by the Swiss embassy in Canberra, has led to
dramatic reductions in drug-related crime.

But the resolution faces stiff opposition from within the party and the
West Australian Coalition.

A resolution in support of the aborted ACT heroin trials was soundly
defeated at last year's State National Party conference, with party leader
and Deputy Premier Hendy Cowan leading speakers against the move.

Premier Richard Court, who will attend the conference in an informal
capacity, yesterday ruled out government support for any type of heroin
trials.

"I am certainly very opposed to pumping more heroin into the system,"
said Mr Court, who has also ruled out any relaxation of marijuana laws.

"There have been trials around the world of providing free drugs to drug
addicts and from what I know about it, not only haven't they been
successful, they have actually led to more problems of drug abuse and to
growing crime."

But Opposition Leader Geoff Gallop said it was incumbent on the Government
to keep all options open in its anti-drug strategy. "It is pretty clear
that the current system is not working and advice to that effect is coming
consistently from our police officers including the commissioner," he said.

Checked-by: (Joel W. Johnson)