ACT has today rejected Health Minister Annette King’s proposal for another Parliamentary Select Committee review of the legal status of cannabis.

ACT Health Spokesman Ken Shirley was a member of the Select Committee that carried out a thorough review of the health effects of cannabis during the last term of Parliament. He said today that a comprehensive report was available and there was no need to repeat the exercise.

“If the Government is proposing a change to the legislation they should front up to Parliament with their proposal so that MPs and the public can scrutinise it and make their views known,” he said.

Ken Shirley said that the Government was under considerable pressure from its own Members and from the Greens on the issue. “The last thing we need at this time is a long winded Select Committee review to act as a stalking horse for the increasingly nervous Labour/Alliance Government,” he said.

“The serious consequences of the public uncertainty created by this Government on the cannabis laws are showing up in our schools with Principals reporting more pupils than usual being caught with cannabis at school. It’s time for the Government to either put up or shut up,” said Ken Shirley.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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