Anderton just says NO

Drug laws will not be eased as the Green Party wishes while Jim Anderton is the Minister responsible for drug policy.

The Progressive leader says his party is anti-drugs and as Minister a far-reaching policy is being implemented dealing with demand, supply and treatment.

“I am excited about the anti-drugs progress this coalition government is making.

“For example today I am running a public forum on methamphetamine (P), alcohol and other drugs in South Auckland with community youth alcohol and drug programme providers (CAYADs). CAYADs are proving to be a successful ground-up way of dealing with drugs.

“The Green Party’s focus on tinkering with regulations is misguided. The issue is not fairness between different substances. The issues are reducing demand for drugs in the community, restricting supply and ensuring substance dependent individuals have access to treatment.

“While the Greens’ drug policy twice mentions ‘treatment’ in headlines, it is almost totally bereft of specifics -- other than telling off the police, which is hardly a treatment measure.

“Yesterday the Green Party bitterly attacked chocolate bar makers. How can you be anti-chocolate and pro-cannabis? It's all the evidence anyone could need of the mind-addling effects of drugs.”

Jim Anderton says the Greens’ drug policy is a recipe for social exploitation of some of the most vulnerable New Zealanders.

“A financially secure middle aged Green MP may well handle his drugs. But my concern is with young people who do not have the same choices and with communities experiencing the devastating effects of abuse” Jim Anderton said.

© Scoop Media

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>>