We might finally be getting close to a 2020 referendum on cannabis to be held with the election, but let’s be clear, if that happens, it will only be because of grotesque Government incompetence and ignorance of the law…
Little said the Electoral Commission had provided advice that electoral law meant a central government referendum could not be run in conjunction with local body elections.
“You’d have to do them as two separate exercises so we’re just considering the implications of that, to the extent that one of the options is we run that referendum ballot at the same time as the local government elections this year.
“Obviously the option of running it at the 2020 general election is still absolutely on the cards, but in terms of considering the two options that’s a fact we have to think about.”
Another potential complication in running the referendum outside of the general election could be the logistics of sending and receiving the postal ballots.
Bell said government officials had told him of doubts over whether a postal ballot could be carried out within the legally required three-week timeframe, given mail service cutbacks (New Zealand Post moved to alternate-day delivery for major towns and cities in 2015).
…Labour & NZ First are nervous about attaching the referendum to the election because they have zero political courage, but because they can’t run it alongside local body elections (something they only just found out) and they can’t do a postal ballot within the statutory 3 weeks because they’ve shut down too many NZ Post shops, it looks likely they will have no choice but to connect to to the 2020 election.
We must remember based on the overseas experience, it is people power that has forced cannabis reform, not political leaders, so if we are serious about getting a legalised market in NZ and get the cops out of our lives, it will be people power here that forces the reform.
The fact the Government are being dragged kicking and screaming to a 2020 election referendum is a reminder we can’t trust or rely on our political leaders to do the right thing here.
Damn straight you cant trust those bastards at all, there isnt one among them that could organize a piss up at a brewery.
Many people can not wait until 2020 for this referendum and cannabis decriminalisation….all politicians should be individually called out on this!
It is a human rights issue.
Is there any way politicians can be collectively sued ? The medical profession , the Ministry of Health and BIG PHARMA also need to be called out for their vested interests
eg taking collective legal action over youth deaths because of synthetic cannabis ; elderly killed off by deadly opioid painkillers because they are denied legal homegrown cannabis for their pain and ailments; epileptics denied legal cannabis; terminally ill denied the relief of their suffering etc etc
Their other option is to change the law without a referendum, because they can because they’re the government, and because they know it’s right.
Hundreds of laws are enacted by governments without such public mandates, so why does the law which arguably infringes the rights of the most innocent parties need to be left to the masses to determine?
But this is the kindness government, unless you threaten the status quo because your in pain and don’t want to die of opioids or want to get a little high and not end up with alcohol syndrome kids.
Need to make this a binding referendum too or they will try scapegoating or burying it in beurocracy again.
I would say keep the question as simple as “Should Cannabis be legal in NZ yes/no” otherwise you end up confusing people, also we want legalisation, not decriminalisation, decrim means its still illegal.
Greg O’Connor saying we shouldn’t have a binding referendum in case the losing side gets sore about the decision tells me they dont care about democratic process.
As for the decision of what question to ask, who is making that decision?
But Mark, what happens if there is a 75% majority ready to vote in favour of legalizing personal use (and maybe grow-your-own), but only a 48% minority willing to vote in favour of setting up a legal market for commercial supply? I’m quietly confident we could get a simple majority to support NZ following Canada’s recent example, but what if I’m wrong? I would rather take one step forward than no steps at all, and putting two questions on the referendum allows us to avoid putting all our eggs in one basket.
BTW My understanding is that government-initiated referenda are always binding. My suspicion is that a majority of MPs want to legalize, but they want to be able to point at the mandate created by a referendum majority when the conservative backlash comes.
re “My suspicion is that a majority of MPs want to legalize, but they want to be able to point at the mandate created by a referendum majority when the conservative backlash comes.”
….well they need to do it fast then!…before too many more young New Zealanders die of synthetic cannabis laced with goodness know what?…fentanyl?
Beware of Blindly Following Canada. If You are Caught Driving With Any Cannabis In Your System In a NON Injury No Accident Checkpoint Test you can Get up to 3 years in Prison. If you get Caught with Alcohol you get a Small Fine. So Crazy,..
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