On 16 March 2012, the Electoral Commission referred Mediaworks and the party secretary of Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP) to Police for an overspend of ALCP’s broadcasting allocation for election programmes broadcast at the 2011 General Election. The cost of election programmes broadcast by Mediaworks on behalf of ALCP exceeded the party’s broadcasting allocation by $557.80.
It is an offence under section 80 of the Broadcasting Act 1989 for a person, during the election period, to broadcast an election programme on behalf of a political party, or to arrange for the broadcasting of an election programme on behalf of the political party other than in conformity with the requirements of Part 6 of the Act. The Commission is required to refer such breaches to Police under section 80A of the Act. As this matter is now with the Police, the Electoral Commission will not be commenting further.
The Electoral Commission today launches a review of the MMP voting system, and seeks input from the public on possible changes to the way MMP works.
“This is a chance for all New Zealanders to have their say on how the MMP voting system might be improved,” says the Electoral Commission’s Robert Peden. “Look for more information from the Commission about the review and how to make a submission in Thursday’s newspapers.”
The review was triggered after the 2011 Referendum on the Voting System, in which the majority of voters chose to keep MMP as New Zealand’s voting system. As a result, the Electoral Commission must now carry out an independent review of MMP and report back to Parliament by the end of October this year.
“It’s easy to get information and have your say,” says Mr Peden. “ You don’t need to be an expert - just have a view on how MMP might be improved.You can make your submissions by post, online or by email, and can also present your submission at a public hearing.”
“All the information you need is on our website at www.mmpreview.org.nz, or call freephone 0800 36 76 56 to have an easy submission guide sent to you.”
Hippocritic oath: Doctors are being disciplined for endorsing cannabis for chronic pain sufferers even though trails of Sativex for chronic pain having been already been done in New Zealand.
Doctors are being asked not to sign medical certificates supporting the use of marijuana to relieve chronic pain.
Their regulatory body, the Medical Council of New Zealand, says it has received two complaints in the past year over the issue.
In its latest newsletter it says in both cases the doctor was asked by a patient to write in support of the continued use of marijuana for the relief of chronic pain, and they did so.
The council was not prepared to say where the complainants or the doctors were from or what action had been taken with the doctors concerned.
Chairman Dr John Adams said the council took the view that "certificates of this type do not meet minimum standards of professionalism".
"If asked for such a certificate, we suggest that doctors decline the request."
The newsletter pointed out marijuana was a class C drug and penalty for possession was three months jail and/or a $500 fine.
The writer of the news item, the council's medical adviser, Dr Steven Lillis, said the ethical arguments and debates over the decriminalisation of marijuana were irrelevant to its current status as an illegal drug.
A medical certificate supporting its use was "condoning and abetting someone to do something that is illegal".
ALCP Closing address presented by leader and Wellington Barrister Michael Appleby and candidates Jasmin Hewlett, Adrian McDermott, Leo Biggs and Jeffrey Lye.
The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP) is the only party with a plan to save the New Zealand economy.
With tough economic times looming in Europe and the US, New Zealand's economy will not be immune to the debt crisis.
ALCP leader and Wellington Barrister Michael Appleby said his party had a solution that would significantly boost the economy and government revenue: Legalising Cannabis, Medical Marijuana and Hemp.
"Other parties promote austerity measures, zero budgets and massive deficits, they cut spending in one area to boost it in another," he said.
"ALCP policy will grow the total pool of money available to be spent on public services."
Don Brash has been portrayed as a dope addled hippie
If Don Brash gets rolled as ACT leader – a scenario allegedly outlined in the infamous teapot tape – he's welcome to join the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party.
ALCP leader Michael Appleby has invited Dr Brash to stand for the pro-cannabis party at the next election.
In September, Dr Brash revealed that although he'd never used the recreational drug, he backed its decriminalisation because it would save the country $100 million a year.
''Apparently, a majority of New Zealanders think this law is an ass," he said during a speech on law and order.
ACT's Epsom candidate John Banks – a former Minister of Police, and the party's only hope of getting back into Parliament – rejected Dr Brash's views, saying he would never vote for the loosening of drug laws.
Hence the ALCP's invitation.
"Dr Brash has not used cannabis but has reviewed the evidence and says there is a compelling case for relaxing the cannabis laws, saving $100 million on police enforcement costs each year," says Mr Appleby.
The ALCP leader has also called for the release of the teapot tapes.
"When a high ranking candidate has a conversation with the Prime Minister about matters of public interest in a public location there is no expectation of privacy," says Mr Appleby.
It's a "forbidden fruit", easy to get our hands on, or maybe we just like it.
Those are some of the explanations experts have for a study in the Lancet which finds Kiwis and Aussies are the world's biggest pot smokers.
Up to 15 per cent of New Zealanders and Australians aged 15 to 64 were reported to have used the drug in the past year, which compared with rates of 1.2 to 2.5 per cent in Asia.
"There were no surprises to us, I guess, of the fact that Australia and New Zealand have the highest rate of cannabis use globally," said report co-author Wayne Hall, of the University of Queensland's Centre for Clinical Research. "Our rates are not fabulously high - we look like most other developed countries in Western Europe and North America - we are just a bit higher on some drugs and a bit lower on others."
New Zealand Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell cited easy access to cannabis as a factor.
"I really don't know what it is in the New Zealand psyche that makes us want to use drugs - I think we saw when legal highs hit the market that New Zealanders really had an appetite for them."
Christchurch ALCP candidates say "Legalise the Kiwi whanau and regulate the herb R18 - less police is the sign of a healthy community."
- ALCP has stepped in at the last minute illuminating the 2011 general election’s Health, Law and Order Debate –
They say there are upwards of 400,000 people consuming cannabis in NZ (some say 750,000), and meanwhile 70% of violent crime in NZ is because of Alcohol.
There is such imbalance in the national alcohol and other drug policy, its not surprising the people of NZ are out of balance too with all their binge drinking and virtually unfettered substance intake.. see alcp health spokespersons address to NZ GP’s www.nzdoctor.co.nz
Labours support for Law Commision (alcohol only, that is)
Written by Kevin O'Connell
Thursday, 10 November 2011 16:58
Labour, Nats and Greens "feeble on public health and wellbeing".
Desperate for the popular vote, the Labour Party is suddenly supporting the NZ Law Commission’s recommendations for more rigorous liquor harm prevention. Yet it has been stony silent on ‘other drug’ recommendations from the Law Commission following its review of the outmoded and dysfunctional 1975 Misuse of Drugs act.
While the Law Commission has recommended toughening up on liquor (the most harmful drug in use in NZ), it has also con-currently recommended easing up on ‘other drugs’ in recognition that prohibition is substantially not working as intended in protecting the public.
These recommendations are of course being dismissed by the National party which has staked its credibility on there being 'not a single solitary chance that it will support cannabis law reform'
Cannabis activists protest Obama's visit to Australia.
United States president Barak Obama yesterday announced a Trans-Pacific Partnership, along with Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Japan and Vietnam.
In October 2004, a man was sentenced to death in Brunei for possession of 922 grams of cannabis. Under Brunei law, possession of over 600 grams gets the death penalty.
In 2011 three people, including one couple, were sentenced to death by hanging by the high court in Malaysia for trafficking 4.5 kilograms (just under 10 pounds) of marijuana.
