NT's proposed drug legislation described as 'Nazi-labelling'

The Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIIDUL) has described the Northern Territory Government's new drug legislation giving police greater powers to raid specific premises as Nazi-type labelling.

The legislation is expected to be debated in next month's Parliamentary sittings.

The AIIDUL says the Government's plans to place signs outside premises where illicit drugs are found could label innocent people.

AIIDUL spokeswoman Annie Madden says if one person is found in possession of drugs, the whole household's reputation could suffer.

"It's quite a medieval kind of approach, in fact someone here likened it to the pink triangle labelling during the Nazi Germany period," Ms Madden said.

"It's about saying publicly, stigmatising and labelling people, and as far as we are concerned that doesn't sit well with what we said is our approach to illicit drug use," she said.

NT Attorney-General Peter Toyne says the only way premises will be declared a drug house is if drugs are seized three or more times.

Mr Toyne says other evidence of dealing and manufacture will also be considered by the courts before any signs are put up.

"There will be signage put on the external doors of that dwelling so that anyone entering the building would have to be aware that that activity was going on and that the declaration had been made," Mr Toyne said.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: 25 May 2002
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Website: http://www.abc.net.au
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Copyright: 2002 Australian Broadcasting Corporation