Pubdate: Mon, 03 Jul 2000 Source: Australian, The (Australia) Copyright: News Limited 2000 Contact: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/ Author: Benjamin Haslem CARNELL READY TO CALL SNAP POLL OVER DEADLOCKED BUDGET ACT Chief Minister Kate Carnell has pulled out of a delegation of Australian leaders travelling to London and has threatened to call a snap election to break the impasse over her Budget.Ms Carnell was due to travel to Britain this week to join John Howard and other state and territory leaders for the Centenary of Federation celebrations. But she is now expected to continue negotiations with Independent MPs this week. Ms Carnell said on Saturday she would go to the polls within four weeks if she was unable to convince either Labor or two Independents to pass her minority Government's $1.6 billion Budget. At the centre of the crisis is $800,000 set aside in the Budget to fund a heroin injecting room in central Canberra. Independent MLAs Dave Rugendyke and Paul Osborne - a former Canberra Raiders star - who normally back the minority Liberal Government, sided with Labor and Greens MLA Kerrie Tucker to block the Budget last week. Mr Rugendyke and Mr Osborne are strongly opposed to the proposed safe injecting room, while Labor and Ms Tucker support the injecting room trial but not the Government's overall Budget. A spokesman for Ms Carnell said yesterday the Chief Minister had decided two weeks ago to stay in Canberra to spend time with her family during the school holidays. Ms Carnell told local media on Saturday she was prepared to call an early election as a last resort. She had briefed federal Territories Minister Ian Macdonald, who could go to the Governor-General requesting a poll. "If there is no way for the Government or an alternative government to implement (the Budget), then there is no way forward," Ms Carnell told the Canberra Sunday Times. It is unlikely Labor could secure the numbers on the floor of the ACT assembly to form government. Ms Carnell has warned her Government would start to run out of money within four weeks. But Labor leader Jon Stanhope said yesterday Ms Carnell was being precipitous and had not tested other options for resolving the crisis on the floor of the assembly. "She's not shown any leadership at all, she's shown no way out other than an early election," Mr Stanhope said. Mr Stanhope said Ms Carnell could split the money for the injecting room from the Budget, which could be passed separately. A bill for the safe injecting room could then be voted on and passed by the Government with the support of Labor, he said. Even if the ACT did go to an early poll, the territory's constitution requires a further poll be held in October 2001. - --- MAP posted-by: greg