8/8/2 Press Release: MILD GREENS

Election 2002: Labour Coalition Clinched On Cannabis Hate Crime

Labour has shafted New Zealanders in an incomprehensible and despicable cow-towing to the "anti cannabis lobby" - as 3-year coalition supply and confidence deals were signed today amongst Helen Clark, Peter Dunne and Jim Anderton's "Progressive Coalition".

The Mild Greens are calling Helen Clark and Parliament into contempt, for pre-empting their cannabis review process and imposing an unethical 3 year moratorium against "legislative moves to alter the legal status of cannabis" - ENGENDERING HATE AMONGST NEW ZEALANDERS in defiance of the evidence.

All who made submissions on health strategies for cannabis to the Health Select Committee legal status review (2000-2002 Cannabis Health Inquiry, lapsed) should protest the breach of faith and wholesale abuse of civil liberty, democracy and due process to the Clerk of the House, say the Mild Greens. "and people should ring MPs and make their feelings known".

Drug regulations "based on evidence, not politics" became NZ law in November 2000, but the promise of a fair adjudication on marijuana has been stolen away today by Helen Clark and Right-wing coalition tail-wagger Peter Dunne of the United Future party.

While one conservative nine-member caucus appears to have pushed for this unprecedented and illiberal "drug user apartheid" move, Government has, without explanation or debate, pre-judged New Zealand's half-million cannabis consumers as guilty - remanded another 3 years.

Contrary to all evidence heard by the Judy Keall chaired health promotion inquiry, the policy analysis has not even been discussed. (Health Professionals where are you??)

Judy Keall, now a former MP, admitted to Mild Greens during the Christchurch hearing of the Inquiry, that according to the evidence she was hearing on cannabis-related health strategies, "all drugs should be legalised".

The coalition agreement requires a "drug education strategy", but the Mild Greens point to the previous 1998 Health Select Committee inquiry into the Mental Health Effects of Cannabis, which concluded that "the double standards surrounding cannabis [alcohol and tobacco] are an impediment to effective anti-drug education" (page 39).

Labour representatives have compromised every principle of good faith and conscientious governance in appeasing the Jim Anderton's and Peter Dunne's aversion to drug reform ("let's not look at the evidence about the discrimination, harms and unintended consequences of prohibition/criminalisation - doh!")

Prohibitionists 120 - Legalisers Nil. Labour MP's be ashamed.

(Ironically, the coalition "bottom line" is technically artificial, and at all times subject to the whim of political favour…Government retains the supreme ability to remove cannabis from the misuse of drugs schedule by order in council. Therefore with Parliament's consent, cannabis may be decriminalised "expeditiously" without the legislation that United Future are so irrationally fearful of.)

Prohibition is damaging NZ - and Cannabis may bring down the government yet, say the Mild Greens.

In making the moratorium part of its written coalition agreement, Helen Clark has signalled something has gone terribly wrong in the Labour Party - and the spirit of Government.

The Mild Greens say people should defend their right to conscientiously object to the law, and the imposition of a right-wing moral paradigm posing as legitimately developed policy.

What silly bloody game are the politicians playing?

"Treat this law with the contempt it deserves" say the Mild Greens.

The New Coalition is Out of Order. Helen Clark, you have no right to do this.

Come on Greens - where's your opposition??

mailto:initiatives@mildgreens.com Web site http://www.mildgreens.com Mild Green Initiatives phone ++64 3 389-4065

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