ALCP to challenge for Maori Electorate vote

The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party has confirmed that it will be standing a candidate in the Te Tai Hauauru by-election, and will be announcing its choice of candidate before nominations close at noon on Tuesday 15th June.

Party Leader Michael Appleby said the selection process was progressing well, and that members were excited by the opportunity to make their voice heard in the MMP environment.

The ALCP appreciate Tariana Turia’s stated position in support of 'decriminalisation'. However, passive support in Parliament for law reform has simply failed to deliver community wellbeing, justice and respect. The Party believes that more determined and sustained advocacy is needed.

Maori bear the brunt of criminalisation policy, arrested and convicted at four times the rate of Non Maori, but few are apparently ready to come forward and firmly advocate for sensible, equitable harm minimisation.

"The government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars building prisons, instead of recognising that criminalisation is unnecessarily and tragically producing the criminals to fill them", said Mr Appleby.

The ALCP supports an R18 approach to cannabis use - a harm minimisation precedent successfully in place in The Netherlands for 28 years.

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