Pubdate: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 Source: Australian, The (Australia) Copyright: News Limited 2000 Contact: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/ Author: Misha Schubert And Nicole Strahan BRACKS IN TALKS BID ON DRUGS VICTORIAN Premier Steve Bracks indicated yesterday he was willing to compromise on a plan to trial five heroin-injecting rooms, as Coalition opposition mounted.Mr Bracks said he would discuss any alternatives developed by the Liberal Party, including fewer trial facilities. "We'd look at any sensible proposal the Liberal Party wanted to discuss - looking for support from the Liberal Party means they have input as well," the Premier said. He ruled out any prospect the Government would seek to establish the drug trial without legislation if it could not win the support of the Opposition - a move that would require police agreement to not arrest users near the injecting rooms. "We have made a decision to go with legislation because the police are seeking legislation, and so they should," he said. But Opposition health spokesman Robert Doyle rejected the Government's offer, saying its willingness to compromise was proof of policy confusion. "Premier Bracks is running around in panic mode on a very serious social issue, asking us to support something when he's not even sure what he's asking us to support or the public to accept." Mr Doyle said the Liberal Party would not make up its mind on the proposal until the legislation was introduced in parliament. "We have no policy at this stage." The exchange came as the country's largest agency dedicated to helping drug-addicted youth yesterday released findings of a survey that found widespread support for the injecting-rooms trial. The Youth Substance Abuse Service found that of the 215 frequent drug users questioned, 89 per cent said they would use an injecting facility. Mr Bracks received support from federal Opposition deputy leader Simon Crean, who urged Victorian Labor to press ahead regardless of political obstacles. "It's their intention to implement it and I would encourage them in that direction," he said. But National Party leader Peter Ryan reiterated his personal opposition, saying the trial was a step towards "the ultimate surrender, which would be to legalise heroin". But after Independent MPs Russell Savage and Craig Ingram expressed reservations on Wednesday about supporting enabling legislation, the third Independent, Gippsland West MP Susan Davies, yesterday offered tentative support for the trials. "I think we need to look at possibilities that might reduce the number of syringes on the ground and reduce the number of bodies lying in the gutter," she said. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea