Simply take petrol off sniffers, says Abbott

The federal Health Minister has taken a swipe at Indigenous communities for not doing enough to stop petrol sniffing.

Earlier this week, the Northern Territory coroner handed down his findings on the death of three petrol sniffers and described government action on petrol sniffing as "pathetic".

But the Health Minister, Tony Abbott, says that is unfair, because there is a limit to what governments can do if communities are not prepared to help themselves.

"Why didn't someone in Mutitjulu simply take the petrol off that young man who wandered into the coroner's hearing while in the very act of sniffing?" he said.

"Wasn't there some responsible person in that community who was capable of just taking the petrol away?"

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org/petrol.html
Pubdate: Wed, 12 October 2005
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australia Web)
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Copyright: 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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