17 November 1999

Jeanette challenges Jenny to debate on cannabis

Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons today challenged Prime Minister Jenny Shipley to a public debate over cannabis policies.

"The public would be much better informed after such a debate than it would be through National Party scaremongering statements," Ms Fitzsimons said today. "I am happy to discuss changes to my busy schedule to have this debate, which I hope would be televised."

Ms Fitzsimons said Mrs Shipley was "just plain wrong" in her claims about the effect of Green Party cannabis policies.

"Mrs Shipley's own Police Minister, Clem Simich (eg p2, The Dominion, 26 February 1999), Immigration Minister Tuariki Delamere (eg p3, 'The Press', 29 June 1999) and a large number of authoritative figures have called for a rethink on cannabis laws (eg Dr Peter Crampton of the Wellington School of Medicine, NZ Herald page 12, March 11, 1999).

"Many police and judiciary believe our present law is failing," said Ms Fitzsimons. "Independent experts have attacked the Government for its lack of response to calls for a new approach."

She said Mrs Shipley was playing politics with children's health.

"Very young children are currently smoking cannabis. The Green Party is the only party with an effective policy to stop this," Ms Fitzsimons said.

She said the Greens were committed to a "harm minimisation" approach to drugs policy. The party's cannabis policy combined with the Green Party's commitment to preventative health would:

* end the gangs' stranglehold on cannabis overnight

* allow proper health education

* free up tens of millions in police resources to expand frontline policing

"Personal cannabis use is a health issue not a criminal one," said Ms Fitzsimons.

Jeanette Fitzsimons MP 025 586068, 021 1170268, 025 2874325, 07 8686641 Paul Bensemann, Press Secretary 021 214 2665

© 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>>