Pubdate: Tue, 20 Mar 2001
Source: Australian, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2001 News Limited {YEAR}
Contact:  Box 339 GPO Adelaide, SA 5001
Fax: (08) 8206-3688
Website: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/
Author: John Kerin

PM'S DRUG CLEAN-OUT

Drug groups last night condemned a move by John Howard to revamp the 
country's leading drugs advisory body. The criticism follows confirmation 
that as many as five members of the Australian National Council on Drugs, 
which is headed by the Salvation Army's Major Brian Watters, will not be 
kept on for new terms.

Those going include the founder of Family Drug Support, Tony Trimingham, 
Wesley Noffs of the Ted Noffs Foundation and Karen Hart, the former head of 
the National School Principals Association.

Wayne Hall, the head of the University of NSW National Drug and Alcohol 
Research Centre, has resigned. The president of the Families and Friends 
for Drug Law Reform, Brian McConnell, said last night that its 
representative, Mr Trimingham had been "sacked".

"After the Ryan by-election, the Prime Minister said he was now listening 
to the community . . . but this shows he is not listening," Mr McConnell said.

He said Mr Trimingham favoured strategies such as heroin trials and 
injecting rooms, but these did not fit Mr Howard's ideologies.

The Australian Intravenous League, a body representing illicit drug users, 
said it was dismayed at the changes. "Without adequate consumer 
representation, how can the council possibly reflect the needs of the 
people most affected by illicit drugs?" executive officer Annie Madden said.

"(This) will not help the lives of the many thousands of drug users who 
were hoping for change and a humane response," she said. But Mr Howard said 
in a statement that new appointments would add to the range of expertise on 
the council.

"(Claims) that members of the Australian National Council on Drugs will not 
be reappointed because they do not support a zero-tolerance approach to 
drug policy . . . and that they are making way for those who do support 
such an approach are wrong," he said.
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