LABOR will not support a move to have the Tasmanian government consider pill testing.

Independent member for Murchison Ruth Forrest has accused Labor of "rolling over" and "playing politics" for refusing to support her motion which will be debated in the Legislative Council on Tuesday.

A Labor spokeswoman said Labor would continue to monitor pill-testing trials interstate.

"Will Hodgman has shown time and time again that he is willing to ignore resolutions of the Parliament," she said.

"He has failed to listen to the Parliament on providing terminations in the public health system ... an important health issue."

Ms Forrest's eight-point motion calls on the Tasmanian government to "commence the necessary steps to explore how a trial of pill testing could occur during the 2019-20 summer festival season".

She accused Labor of not acting like a real opposition.

"I thought the job of an opposition was to hold the government to account," Ms Forrest said.

"What a poor excuse for not supporting a pragmatic and factual motion.

"This is pure politics as the motion states a number of facts about pill testing and only calls on the government to look at what would need to be done to conduct a trial."

Ms Forrest said she had hoped the Labor Party would support a health-related intervention.

"The opposition to the motion on the basis of the past actions of the government lacks leadership and politicises an important health intervention," she said.

Former health minister Michael Ferguson maintained the government's opposition to pill testing.

Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Council of Tasmania chief executive Alison Lai urged the Legislative Council to "put politics aside and focus on the evidence".

Ms Lai said support of the motion did not mean the government was compelled to begin a pill-testing trial.

The Examiner Tuesday 13 August, 2019