Press Release 23 June 2004 - Peter Wakeman

Te Tai Hauauru By Election 10 July 2004

Retired international jet pilot raises by-election debate

Peter Wakeman, 44, a member of the Labour Party, is standing as an independent in the by-election, due to Labour having no candidate.

Mr. Wakeman wants a constitution that can only be changed if members of the public support such a change, in order to prevent Members of Parliament having total control of lawmaking, and taxation.

Mr Wakeman wants the burden of student loans removed from the young generation who are trying very hard to get ahead while having to service large debts to further their education.

“This by-election in my view has to be more than the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party and the Maori Party due to the number of independents standing in the by-election”

Mr Wakeman’s question on the marijuana issue is “if Aotearoa legalised cannabis, would it help people with drug problems to seek help?” - The report of the Parliamentary Health Select committee (Steve Chadwick, Chairperson, August 2003), stated in the last two sentences of page 57: “Prohibition makes targeting education, prevention, harm minimisation and treatment measures difficult because users fear prosecution. It also facilitates the black market and potentially exposes cannabis users to harder drugs”.

(Mr Wakeman states he has only ever tried tobacco, and never indulged in any other drugs apart from alcohol, tea and pharmaceuticals.)

Peter Wakeman who formally stood for Parliament in the Tauranga by-election in 1993, caused by the resignation from Parliament of Winston Peters, wants people to enroll to vote. He suggests prospective voters for the by-election, and the next general election, check out the electoral commission website to make sure they are on the electoral roll.

Names of the Te Tai Hauauru candidates are David John Bolton, Rusty Kane, Dun Mihaka, Tahu Nepia, Tariana Turia (her resignation from Parliament has caused this by-election), and Peter Wakeman (from Christchurch).

Details of matters associated with voting can be found on www.elections.org.nz . It is nearly everyone’s right, aged 18 and over, to use their vote in order to determine the personalities that are in Parliament.

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contact Peter Wakeman 0274 588 944

© Scoop Media

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