Mis-State of the Nation Address

John Key’s plans for asset sales to get the NZ economy moving are bereft of creative thinking and nothing new. While Key claims the $10 billion is necessary to reduce government debt, This will only be a temporary solution. Cannabis Reform on the other hand could easily add $10 billion to the economy each year.

History has proven the foolishness of privatization in New Zealand time and time again. Like many of New Zealand's laws, the real motivation for asset sales is coming from offshore. Core New Zealand assets will fall in foreign ownership and control if privatised. Old state assets are often bought back later at much greater cost to the taxpayer.

Foreign laws and conventions have forced cannabis prohibition upon New Zealand. For over 35 years successive New Zealand governments have borrowed billions to fund a growing prison industry. It has seen the police force grow to 12,000 strong and a prison population projected to hit 10,000 in the near future. New Zealand has the second highest prison population per capita in the world, behind the US. All this so we can lock up non-violent cannabis 'offenders' who comprise 10% of the total incarcerated population.

We have been subject to foreign dictatorship of our laws, which are destroying our society. They are determined to prohibit the public access to natural substances they call drugs while inflicting endless new pharmaceutical drugs with potentially dangerous side effects on us.

The war on Cannabis has undermined respect for Police. The once proud and respected Bobby on the beat has become a menacing gun toting balaclava clad thug, immune from prosecution, corrupt and alienated from the community. In Holland where cannabis is regulated in the market-place Police Officers are hugely respected. Becoming a Police Officer is the most popular career option in the Netherlands. They also perform their dangerous job without the need for firearms.

Ending the drug war and developing the hemp/cannabis industry will increase our assets. The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party policy will build up the economy by ending prohibition of cannabis on one hand, which will save us billions and also develop the environmentally sustainable hemp/cannabis industry that will make billions of dollars annually and take this long suffering country out of debt.