It has taken a former ACT chief minister to point to the elephant in the room when it comes to implementation of Labor sentiment on the possible trial of a controlled prison needle exchange (''Stanhope poised to take on union in graduation speech'', September 28, p1).
Stanhope has criticised the way in which the CPSU leadership is pandering to the small membership that works in the Alexander Maconochie Centre. In doing so, it reveals that might does not equal right. It is prepared to sacrifice good policy and public health outcomes through a process that avoids reflecting the overall sentiment of membership. Pressure is being put on other left-aligned unions to come out against prison needle and syringe programs so that the CPSU is not seen as being the loneliest of shags on a policy rock.
It's for this reason that the recent position by the Australian Nurses Federation in the ACT, in which it was unable to support a needle and syringe program at this stage - despite clearly showing in-principle support - must be treated with scepticism. .
The union was invited to debate this at the Australian Society of HIV Medicine conference in Canberra on Tuesday. It didn't have the guts to take its position into the public arena.
Given the legal obligations on the Government with the ACT Corrections Management Act, it is setting a terrible precedent from a public policy perspective if a rump - albeit a prominent one - can stand in the way of evidence-based public-health advances.
John Ryan, chief executive, Anex, North Fitzroy, Vic
FIRE AFTERMATH
So it seems neither the minister nor the experts can tell us whether or not there were toxins in the plume from the Mitchell fire (''Fire test 'too simplistic' to find dioxins'', September 28, p1).
But I would caution about being hung up on the problem. The fire is now history.
What we should be seeking is an assurance from the Government that this type of fire will never ever occur again. What is the Minister doing to prevent further fires of this type?
What are the Greens doing? They hold the balance of power in the Assembly and surely the environment is a centrepiece of their platform? Or does it consist only of bicycle paths, plastic bags and saving the whales? Have they made any comment on their proposed action?
C.J. Johnston, Duffy
Thick black smoke from 420,000lt of burning oil containing PCBs (which are thought to be cancer-forming) billowed into the air for nearly 24 hours and spread over some of Canberra's suburbs. Miraculously, this posed no threat to public health, apparently.
One must ask on what basis reassurances regarding the lack of toxicity of the fire were given, when ''quality control'' of the data is even now still continuing. The following official statements have been made in relation to the disaster: there is no risk to the Canberra community; air quality test results are not available because the equipment only gave immediate readings; air pollution monitoring reports will be available once ''quality control'' of the results is completed. The last two can't both be correct, and the first seems to be based on wishful thinking rather than evidence.
Far too often governments make unfounded claims that relate to public health and safety when either they don't know or the data is too alarming. The appalling response of the Japanese Government to the nuclear disaster at Fukushima in March was the most notable and irresponsible example recently, but it is disturbing to see the ACT Government appearing to follow the same pattern. Its responsibility is to protect its citizens, not reputations - either their own or that of an industry.
Full disclosure of all available data from the disaster should now finally occur.
Dr Sue Wareham, GP, Giralang
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