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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 1 Hansard (17 February) . . Page.. 252 ..

Mr Quinlan: We will use your experience then, Gary?

MR HUMPHRIES: No, I am not asking you to use my experience. I am asking you to use the evidence of the liquor licensing inspectors which has been put before us today that there is such use going on, as evidenced by the presence of needles in licensed premises of the kind covered by the manual. It is astonishing that the party which only last December was arguing for protection of the community through the supervised injecting places trial is not even prepared today to contemplate a trial of needle bins in licensed premises.

Mr Stanhope: This is a trial, is it?

MR HUMPHRIES: You were not listening, Mr Stanhope. I said that if you are prepared to support this as a trial I will go with the trial. Are you prepared to support that, Mr Stanhope? Do not worry answering. I know the answer. You are going to find some reason why it is not going to work as a trial. I know. It is shameful that a party professing a concern about public health in the ACT is not prepared to see needle bins go into licensed premises in this town right now.

MR KAINE (12.27): I want to indicate my support for Mr Rugendyke's motion. I support it not because I have any great problem with the Government taking appropriate action to protect the public health but because I think this provision is discriminatory. Since this is a document that deals with liquor licensing, there seems to be an inherent premise that the sale of liquor and use of intravenous drugs are somehow synonymous or related. The Government has done nothing to demonstrate that supposed link, but even if you accept that there is such a link, why then does the Government stop by saying that only taverns and nightclubs must put in place these special provisions? There is a total inconsistency there, in my view.

If the Government is prepared to come back to this place with a comprehensive Bill that would put this kind of facility in all sorts of places where there is a problem or a potential problem, including all places where liquor is sold, then I might be prepared to consider it. But I do believe that this is totally discriminatory and I do not believe the Government has established that there is an enormous need for only these two kinds of facilities to have this responsibility placed on them.

My other objection is that it seems to be an inappropriate place in which to make such a provision. The introduction to this manual says quite clearly:

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