Pubdate: Mon, 19 Nov 2012
Source: Canberra Times (Australia)
Copyright: 2012 Canberra Times
Contact:  http://www.canberratimes.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/71
Author: Christopher Knaus

WARNING BY GUARDS ON NEEDLE EXCHANGE

The guards' union has warned it will take the government to the 
industrial relations tribunal if it tries to push ahead with the 
needle exchange program at Canberra's jail without the consent of 
prison officers.

The government has been consulting with a large number of interest 
groups over its plans to introduce a one-for-one needle exchange 
model to swap a single clean needle for a dirty needle in the 
Alexander Maconochie Centre.

The plan, designed to combat blood-borne disease, has sparked strong 
criticism from guards, who warn it is unworkable, will feed a 
black-market trade of needles and put correctional officers in danger.

But public health advocates, including the Australian Medical 
Association and the Australian National Council on Drugs, National 
Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, say there is a clear body of 
evidence showing prison-based needle exchanges are highly effective.

The government says it has received 40 submissions in overall support 
of the approach of the draft blood-borne disease management strategy.

But the Community and Public Sector Union, which represents the 
jail's guards, has reiterated its strident opposition to the plan in 
its submission to government.

The union and the government continue to consult on the draft plan, 
while the government has also opened separate talks with other unions 
holding a stake in the needle exchange.

The union and the government have conflicting views on a crucial 
clause of the enterprise agreement with correctional officers, which 
the union claims would legally prevent the needle exchange going 
ahead without its support.

Union regional secretary Vince McDevitt said that dispute had not yet 
been resolved.

But Mr McDevitt warned the union would seek intervention from Fair 
Work Australia if the government tried to push the needle exchange 
through without its support.

"I really don't think the government will attempt to ram this through 
in the face of opposition from staff and their union," Mr McDevitt said.

"We'd look at all their options if they did try, but the first stop 
obviously would be Fair Work Australia, where we would be seeking 
intervention," he said.

The Australian Medical Association ACT branch last month urged Greens 
MLA and Corrections Minister Shane Rattenbury to use his then status 
as kingmaker to urge the opposition to support the proposed needle exchange.

They warned the government "could get wobbly on it" and described the 
plan as the single most significant health policy issue that could be 
raised during the power-sharing negotiations.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom