Media release
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party
20 October 2005

Helen lucky prostitution is legal

It is just as well for Helen Clark that the prostitution law reform bill was carried. Otherwise she would be a prime candidate for prosecution.

Wellington lawyer Michael Appleby, who is Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party Leader, said that getting into bed with Peter Dunne - a moraliser with little electoral support - was a low blow for a Prime Minister to deliver. "Like a small kid at a birthday party, Dunne's long list of demands in exchange for a ministerial position include threats against the Kyoto agreement and the recent ground-breaking prostitution law reform," Mr Appleby said.

"It was most notable that first place on Dunne's list was a renewed block on the development of a common sense policy on cannabis. So, yet again, the legal status of cannabis is defining the makeup of the government."

"NZ levels of cannabis use and uptake, meanwhile, show no sign of remission under this law that has evaded all accountability," said Mr Appleby.

With over 100,000 cannabis prosecutions since Helen Clark has been PM, there are going to be a lot of very angry people out there over this, especially because Dunne - who purports to be anti-drug - is a conspicuous friend of the alcohol, tobacco and gambling industries.

On the positive side, Dunne's new job in Health should give him access to all the research available in the cannabis field which, if he bothers to read, will make him realise that his brand of common sense hasn’t been all that common or sensible.

"Little wonder many young New Zealanders exhibit so little respect for the system, and its double standard-based moral messages," said Mr Appleby.

ENDS

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