Queensland plans heroin shooting galleries'
August 3, 2008 - 2:51PM
The Queensland Opposition says it fears the government has a secret agenda to introduce Kings Cross-style heroin injecting rooms for drug addicts.
Liberal National Party (LNP) spokesman Tim Nicholls said Labor's state convention last year adopted a policy which called for a review of shooting galleries to determine if Queensland should have one.
The state government has also recently appointed Mick Reid as Queensland Health's director-general.
Mr Reid, who took over his new role on June 23, approved the controversial injecting room in Sydney's Kings Cross when he was head of the NSW health department.
Mr Nicholls called on Premier Anna Bligh to reveal if Queensland was also considering a similar move.
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We think the premier needs to be honest and open with the people of Queensland as to where she is heading with Mr Reid's appointment and with this Labor Party policy to review shooting galleries in Queensland," Mr Nicholls told AAP.
"There is a concern we will have them here and it will slip through under the radar.
"Previously, the government has said they won't be having shooting galleries but the party has adopted this policy that is being kept pretty well under wraps and they've appointed the man who introduced them in New South Wales as the head of Queensland Health.
"There is a very real concern we will see shooting galleries here in Queensland."
Queensland Health Minister Stephen Robertson has said he has no plan to introduce heroin injecting rooms in Queensland, nor had Mr Reid approached him about it.
http://news.theage.com.au/national/q...0803-3p8a.html