FAMILY FIRST SLAMS GREENS DEALS

THE Liberal and Labor parties have been told it would be absurd for
them to direct preferences to the Greens in the federal election
because it would be sending children the message it was acceptable to
use drugs. In an attempt to gain crucial support for his party at
the next election, expected in October or November, Family First's
only federal representative, Steve Fielding, has warned the major
parties against any association with the Greens.

In response to Greens leader Bob Brown's call for Labor preferences,
Senator Fielding said the Greens were pushing dangerous views on
drugs and had no sensible policies on families or small business.

A party that promoted extremism should not be allowed to hold the
balance of power and any mainstream party that supported the Greens
would be tainted by association, he said.

His attack continues the escalating battle between the two parties
for inheritance of third-party status from the Democrats, amid
expectation that the Democrats would struggle to win support in this
year's election. The non-government parties are keen to warn voters
against repeating the 2004 election result, which left the Senate in
the Coalition's control.

Senator Brown warned last week there would be open revolt among
Labor's rank and file if the ALP gave preferences to the conservative
Family First.

He said the Greens would offer to direct preferences to Labor in
return for help winning the balance of power.

A spokeswoman for Senator Brown said the Greens' drugs policy had
changed since the last election and involved a harm-minimisation
approach. The policy did not support legalising drugs but it did
promote needle- and syringe-exchange programs.

Senator Fielding said a leopard did not change its spots.

"Despite the extreme Greens' latest marketing attempts to make
themselves more presentable, the fundamentals haven't changed," he said.

"The extreme Greens are still pushing their dangerous policies to
provide free heroin to addicts, open shooting galleries across the
country and abolish criminal sanctions for drug users."

Senator Fielding said his record showed he voted on issues on their
merit, rather than along party lines. He has been campaigning
strongly on issues such as petrol tax and the sale of Qantas in an
effort to broaden his party's appeal.

At the 2004 election, Family First won 1.8 per cent of the national
vote in the Senate. It did not run in the Northern Territory or ACT.
The Greens won 7 per cent of the vote while the Democrats crashed to
2 per cent.

In apparent support for Senator Fielding, federal Minister for Ageing
Christopher Pyne said the Greens still condoned consuming illicit substances.