GUEST BLOG: Gareth Morgan – Time for a Sea Change in NZ Politics
Young people are turning their back on politics in big numbers, and when you look at the current way of doing things it is no surprise. Our two biggest parties make personal digs and squabble over who runs the country when they are the closest together on policy. Meanwhile our potential kingmaker is a one-man band who wants to take New Zealand back to the 1970s. It is enough to turn anyone off.
A sea change is needed, as was clearly demonstrated by the reaction to our 8th policy: Real Deal Cannabis Reform. The policy is common sense and evidence based. We know that at least 40% of Kiwis have tried cannabis, 1 in 9 of us in the last year. Does that make us criminals? The law says yes. We say the law is an ass.
Prohibition hasn’t worked, anywhere in the world. It doesn’t reduce consumption at all. Instead it pushes honest people into the hands of criminals, or the criminal justice system. It hands millions to gangs, and clogs up our prisons.
So to reduce harm The Opportunities Party is suggesting legalising and regulating the supply of cannabis. Growers will be licensed, and small growers in the regions encouraged. Advertising will be strictly controlled, and retail managed by charities, similar to alcohol licensing trusts that still exist in West Auckland and Invercargill. That takes the edge off the free-for-all private market that has caused some problems in Colorado.
The police and courts would save $180m per year, money that could be spent on chasing real criminals. The revenue from tax and trust profits will go to drug education and rehab, as well as providing opportunities for local teenagers. This approach has worked in Iceland to keep people away from drugs in the first place.
It is a pretty sensible approach, and judging by the polls online it seems that most young people agree. So what is holding us back? Knee jerk reactions from Establishment Party politicians like Judith Collins, Paula Bennett and Grant Robertson. They are more interested in playing the polls than finding solutions to our country’s problems. They prefer to dredge up the myths of reefer madness than deal with the reality that the most harm cannabis does when used in moderation by adults is the damage to a packet of biscuits (the ‘munchies effect’).
The harm caused by cannabis is certainly far less (four times in fact) than that caused by alcohol, which is very lightly regulated. However, Establishment Party politicians seem to be okay with that harm. Drug Foundation head Ross Bell has pointed out this hypocrisy:
We cannot afford to have policy decided by MPs enamoured by a corporate box at the rugby, with plenty of the sponsor’s product on tap.
So how quickly can we get all this implemented? It all comes down to negotiations after the election, which of course depends on how many seats The Opportunities Party gets. The Opportunities Party has eight policies, and will offer support on confidence and supply to whichever Establishment Party is willing to deliver more of them.
Pretty much every other party is open to talking about drug reform in some form except for National. Instead of fluffing around working out the best way forward, The Opportunities Party has done the work on the ideal model. We think we could have this up and running before the end of the Parliamentary term. A date like 20th April 2020 (20/4/20) would be a good date to aim for to make cannabis use legal.
How do we get there? Party vote TOP!
Any chance someone with the chops could compare TOP’s policy with the Green’s? Would prefer to vote Green but this is a deal breaker for me.
Of concern immediately is that it seems to be TOP’s 8th policy ….and if they are negotiating in nuerical order, it may fall off the table.
TOP might have some on the face of it, liberal and popular policies, as per cannabis, but at core they are a neo liberal party
Rogernomics, Ruthanasia and the Employment Contracts Act 1991–which derecognised unions–was when the rot truly started in NZ; so unless TOP wants to repeal the Reserve Bank Act, put more controls on the in and out flow of capital, end SOEs and penetration of the public infrastructure by private capital they are not worth a tin of the proverbial
and one more thing…a lot of neo liberals are now entertaining UBI type schemes, why you might ask? well obviously the era of mass regular paid work is coming to an end, so they know something has to be done, but that ”something” damn well better not hurt corporate bottom lines
enter UBI, a way to get the cost of the collapse of paid work funded by the state, the taxpayer–“you and me” rather than the capitalists stumping up a share
Yes so true i never looked at it like that. But tell me then my do many right wingers like hoskings hate it?
there are differences among all factions, not just “one way”, maybe Hosking has not thought it through–he just sees people “getting something for nothing” lazy bludgers…
I only came to my opinion on UBI recently, I mean it will be necessary if we don’t want society to break down in a major way, and people having some spending power will keep the corporates happy, but it will also tie people to the state permanently which is fine if it is a benevolent state
I support “retiring” capitalism for good of course, but reforms like UBI may be necessary for various reasons in the interim
You’re a wise old owl eh @Tigger?
I agree with some of Gareth’s policy, but not enough to render TOP as a viable alternative – so far – simply on the basis of a TOP POT policy.
It’ll probably come as a surprise to TOP, most over on TS (with exceptions), the Thorndon bubble, the Kiwiblogs, the Slaters et al – that the exploited, the missing million, the minority etc… don’t actually give a fuck about things like political correctness or pontificating politicians and their hangers-on, or Backbenchers, Wekas, Pscho Milts and all the crowd trying their best to display their cleverness. They’re too busy trying to survive, and when they find the hard getting harder – they may very well resort to various forms of escapism – and usually the easiest form to be obtained.
agree, the missing mill have well enough to be going on with!
but what gets to me is that things like the unpublished electoral roll, for people who for whatever reason, do not want to be identified are not publicised properly
Of Course! They’re the ones we have an immigration policy designed for. The ticket clippers, the land purchasers and bankers, the exploiters who’d rather not be noticed – all those involved in unproductive activity whether you you at it in purely economic terms, or the social.
But just because they’re not on the published electoral role, doesn’t mean they’re going unnoticed.
Half a century ago, and in another region, they’d probably have been the ones we’d have seen hanging from the cross-bar of a local lamp post. Not many lessons learned huh? (or as they say these days – no ‘learnings’ from history – ideology is easier than any sort of capacity for critical thought and it often comes with a qualification that enables a good living – “going forward”)
agree, the missing mill have well enough to be going on with; cannabis does seem to be getting more popular as the older buggers face their mortality, legalise it don’t criticise it!
and things like the unpublished electoral roll, for people who for whatever reason, do not want to be identified are not publicised properly does not help engage the alienated and excluded like prisoners
sounds good Gareth, but one thing preventing me from voting for you is your equivocation around the TPPA.I don’t think of heard from you about that for some time
How do you feel about the recent developments?
Licensing trusts? Opaque and unaccountable.
This is not a harmful crop – if someone has a few plants keeping the white butterflies off their brassicas so much the better.
TOP plans to continue privatization – it is a kleptocratic party with a window dressing of decent policy. It’s the kleptocracy that needs to stop.
mr morgan..
could you please tell us why you have done the ineffably stupid thing of standing a seat-candidate in ohariu-belmont..
when/where if you have more nous that a packet of hair you will know this will only split the progressive-vote..
and will just help arch-prohibitionist dunne to again win his seat..
(are you running a double-con/trojan-horse number on us all..?..)
i supported many of your arguments until this..
‘cos/but actions speak louder than words..eh..?
did you think we wouldn’t bloody well notice..?
please tell us why you have done this – and why your ohariu-bvelmont candidate cannot just stand for the list vote (which is the one that matters (i am presuming you have the political nous to know that..eh..?
if not..just ask..)
why this deliberate move on your part to aid dunne to win his seat again – and to continue on with his prohibitionist/delaying bullshit..?
this action makes all of your words pretty much worthless..
and you are doing your cause more damage by this move – than any gains from it you may perceive..
and i am presuming you have that more than a bag of hairs worth of political-nous..eh..?
please explain..!
and please announce you will only be standing a list-candidate in ohariu-belmont..
if you don’t you will become a joke..
yep, it does come down to realpolitik at some stage
nice to see you still about Phillip
chrs tiger…it’s election-year..time to do what one can..
of course the cynic in me sees that because the greens are doing the right thing – and are not standing in the seat – but just asking for the party vote..
that you can see a vacuum there – green voters that you can mop up..?
and fuck the fact you will help dunne get in..?
were they the arguments presented in support of this very bad idea.?
and if this is what you are tryng to do (just thinking out loud here)
then that is beyond a joke – it is fucken treachery..
and will show you up as a tool for the right..
and if you continue on this path you will piss up against the wall far more possible support – than the chump-change in ohariu-belmont you are scrabbling after – and in a most undignified manner..
I would ilke to see the TPPA dead and buried – I will keep an eye out for the Party most likely to do this.
One question:
Why is National not held accountable for it’s continual failures?
It might have something to do with every one here holding Gareth Morgan responsible for nationals failures gamon
I think Gareth Morgan talks a lot of sense and has been great to push out newideas that other politicians can pick up (or maybe old ideas but from a new face). BUT, a vote for TOP that does not reach 5% (and even if they did I heard that their preferred partner was National) so that could be the difference between National winning or losing.
Personally I think vote Green if you want cannabis reform and to try to get the Natz out.
A vote for TOP is a vote for National.
Gareth Morgan is tied to the national circle of business ideologies for sure.
gareth morgan is another of those seagull-commenters..
squawks – drops his load – and flies away..
never to return..