Shelved plans to run a pill testing trial at Canberra's Spilt Milk music festival have spewed over into a political scrap.
The ACT government and police cleared a path for the Australian-first trial at the November 25 event in an effort to reduce harm to recreational drug users.
But organisers have pulled the plug on the trial over an apparent authorisation bungle.
Acting health minister Shane Rattenbury, from the ACT Greens, is livid about the decision and is pointing the finger of blame at his Liberal foes.
Canberra Liberals MP Jeremy Hanson wrote to his federal colleagues on September 28 to suggest the trial was on shaky legal ground, fanning fears about potential indemnity claims.
Mr Rattenbury accused his opponent of using murky back channels to lobby his "mates on the hill" to stymie the trials.
"The Canberra Liberals' campaign to undermine and sabotage pill testing in the ACT is based purely on ideology and not on evidence," he said.
Mr Rattenbury fears the festival will now be more dangerous than if the pill testing trials went ahead.
But Mr Hanson is stoked the trial's been spiked.
"Not only does pill testing send the message illegal drug use is sanctioned by the government, experts have stated the tests cannot detect every substance in the sample, and lawyers have raised serious legal concerns." he said.
Mr Hanson gave the government and event organisers a clip around the ears for their apparent failure to get proper permission.
"It gives me no confidence the ACT government can conduct a pill test if they cannot even organise basic documentation and approvals," he said.
Event organisers Kicks Entertainment have been contacted for comment.
