Pubdate: Sun, 04 Jun 2000 Source: Canberra Times (Australia) Copyright: 2000 Canberra Times Contact: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/ Author: Peter Trickett, OPPOSE CARNELL BUDGET OVER SAFE INJECTING ROOM DAVE Rugendyke is to be commended for pledging that he will vote against the ACT budget as long as it contains funding for the controversial heroin injecting room planned by the Carnell government. It is little short of blackmail for the Chief Minister and Health Minister Michael Moore to declare that funding for the injecting room is such an indispensable part of the budget that refusal to support it will mean rejection of the budget as a whole, with the implied threat that this could bring down the government. To their credit, Mr Rugendyke and his independent colleague, Paul Osborne, have refused to bow to these pressure tactics. PETER --- MAP posted-by: greg