Prisoners Denied the Right to Vote

The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (ALCP) are calling on Governor General Sir Anand Satyanand to strike down legislation which denies prisoners the right to vote. This is a dark hour for New Zealand politics. This Bill tears to shreds the democratic principles this country was founded on.

Since the elected government can use legislation to criminalise large sectors of society, as they have done with the Cannabis Culture, they are now able to imprison their opponents and strip them of the right to vote. This is the very essence of dictatorship. This is especially concerning since the National led government plan to increase the prison population to fill privately run prisons.

Many supporters of the ALCP are in jail for charges the party consider manifestly unjust. The striping of voting rights for any such Political Prisoners directly jeopardises the ability of the party to seek parliamentary representation. This Bill is an attack on the democratic freedoms of New Zealand Citizens and should be struck down by the Crown.