MOORE FACES PM'S IRE OVER 'MEAN-MINDED' ATTACK

Prime Minister John Howard has described as 'mean-minded and insubstantial'
ACT Health Minister Michael Moore's weekend attack on the head of a senior
advisory group on drugs.

Mr Moore's attack had been 'born of prejudice', Mr Howard said.

Mr Moore had called on Mr Howard to remove Brian Watters from his job as
chairman of the National Council on Drugs, saying Mr Watters had a narrow,
prohibitionist attitude to drugs.

Independent Paul Osborne joined the fray yesterday, saying Mr Moore had
gone 'completely over the top' in his criticism of Mr Watters.

Mr Moore should 'think long and hard about the responsibilities of his new
role and consider for a moment that ACT Health is not his personal toy', Mr
Osborne said.

'Michael Moore is Health Minister for the people of the ACT, not for the
Michael Moore career advancement society. He should . . . not use his
position to strut his personal agenda on a national stage.'

Mr Howard appeared not to know that Mr Moore had joined the Carnell
Government, in his comments at Question Time yesterday in the federal
Parliament.

He said he had been 'disappointed' to read of the attack from 'an
Independent' Member of the Assembly. When Canberra MP Bob McMullan
interjected that Mr Moore was a member of the Liberal Government, Mr Howard
said, 'I see. That disappoints me even further.'

He said he had 'deliberately hand-picked' Mr Watters to chair the council.
'It is no secret that Major Watters adopts the view, as do many others,
including myself, that the policy of zero-tolerance of drug taking in this
country is a wholly credible policy and a policy that ought to be pursued
more vigorously.'

Chief Minister Kate Carnell supported Mr Moore yesterday, saying she had
expressed similar concerns about Mr Watters' appointment. Mr Moore also won
support from the president of the Australian Foundation for Drug Law
Reform, Alex Wodak, who said many people were concerned about Mr Watters'
appointment because of the 'deeply disturbing things' he had said about
drugs.

'[His] chairmanship has disturbed a lot of people because he continues to
make very partisan and very ill-informed comments,' Dr Wodak, of Sydney,
said.

Mr Watters' attack on the methadone program raised the 'real question about
whether he is, and ever was, a suitable candidate' for the chairmanship of
the council.

In a Sydney radio interview, Mr Watters said although he wanted to
'encourage Australia to become a society that doesn't tolerate or even give
in to this drug scourge', Mr Moore wanted to see a softening of laws.

'In fact, you know, he would be very pleased to see various drugs
available, almost on demand.'

Mr Moore said he was 'just sorry that the Prime Minister's approach was not
based on reasonable evidence'.

'That's part of the tragedy. The other part is that because of their
approach there will be an increase in the spread of disease and more people
dying.'

Checked-by: jwjohnson@netmagic.net (Joel W. Johnson)