2 November 2001

ACT must end 'conspicuous silence' on cannabis

"If the ACT Party has any intention to rekindle a 'liberal vision' then it must end its conspicuous silence on cannabis law reform," Green MP Nandor Tanczos said today.

ACT President Catherine Judd said yesterday that ACT has launched a project to rekindle the party's liberal vision in an effort to appeal to young urban liberals and to regenerate the party.

"They say they support individual freedom and personal responsibility, but the ACT party has been conspicuously silent on the issue of cannabis law reform. Again I challenge the party to show some courage and say where they stand," said Nandor.

"If ACT really wants to attract 'young urban liberals' they have to offer more than just weasel words," he said.

"There is no way that 'young urban liberals' will support a party that condones the criminalisation of over half of the adult population for a victimless crime."

Nandor said the cannabis issue was a litmus test for ACT and a challenge to Catherine Judd's efforts to position the party as the promoter of a 'free society'.

"ACT has given up on its principles to chase the red-neck vote."

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>