At the NORML New Zealand conference at Tokaanu last Saturday, Chris Fowlie was elected unopposed to the position of President. As it is written
And then shall they see the Son of Mr. and Mrs. Fowlie coming in a cloud of smoke with power and great glory. (RSG)
That’s Chris third from the right (at the back) standing behind me on the far right (LOL!) and Phil Saxby second from the right. From NORML’s post-conference press release
New Zealand should regulate cannabis like alcohol and save at least $300 million per year, says the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, New Zealand Inc (NORML).
At its weekend conference at Tokaanu, delegates elected Chris Fowlie of Auckland as President, and Phil Saxby of Wellington as Secretary.
Chris Fowlie was previously President of NORML from 1997-2008 during which time NZ came tantalisingly close to cannabis law reform, has owned and managed The Hempstore for 16 years, and regularly appears in court as an independent cannabis expert witness.
NORML is optimistic New Zealand is entering a period where cannabis law reform will finally happen here, and so am I, particularly now that we have competent, committed, convivial people with proven track records of activism such as Chris (and Phil, Billy, Gary, Dakta, …) running the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. It really is high time.
Proverbs 3:30-32
Do not contend with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
Do not envy a man of violence
And do not choose any of his ways.
For the devious are an abomination to the LORD;
But He is intimate with the upright.
I took a dispute to the Disputes Tribunal which was heard yesterday. I found the experience extremely disappointing.
The Tribunal has a policy of encouraging people to settle their disputes by negotiation rather than making rulings – this policy favours men of violence, bullies and disadvantages the weak and vulnerable. This policy also says to me that the Tribunal is not confident in its own ability to make just rulings.
My opponent was articulate and he did not share my impediment of having to tell the truth (note to self: don’t envy the man of violence). At my hearing the Judge made it obvious that he was favouring my opponent and he encouraged me to settle by crushing any hope I had that the evidence (not that my opponent presented any evidence other than his “professional” opinion which the Judge seemed to be lapping up) and arguments would be examined methodically and carefully enough to expose the truth and the Judge also crushed any faith I had in the Tribunal system.
My opponent caused me to lose a few thousand dollars but the loss I suffered from the Tribunal was greater. I lost confidence that the Court will be there to reliably enforce any contract that I make.
Veteran cannabis law reform campaigner Dakta Green’s Armistice Tour culminated in a hikoi on Parliament on Armistice Day, 11 November 2010.
Mr Green said it was called the Armistice Tour because he wanted to stop fighting with the Government over cannabis legislation.
“When two warring parties choose to stop fighting without either side conceeding defeat that’s what an armistice is,” he said.
“We are waving a white flag … we want peace.”
The white flag is the “flag of temporary truce in order to parley.” Inspired by the Armistice Tour, the Wellington branch of NORML started a tradition of White Flag meetings on the first Tuesday of the month when Parliament sits. We convene at the Cenotaph at 12:45 pm, then at 1:00 pm fly the white flag of negotiation to the Richard Sedden statue outside Parliament Buildings. Once there, we pause for a One Minute Silence for the victims of the global War on Drugs. Following that, a few words spoken regarding our actions, and our intentions for these meetings, with a reading of a letter to an MP, and then a photo or two …
At the first white flag meeting on Armistice Day 2010, many of those protesting the War on Drugs™ also celebrated New Zealand’s cannabis culture by smoking cannabis on Parliament grounds. Cannabis campaigners light up at Parliament, reported TV3. But no one was arrested.
Protesters marched to Parliament to demand a law change decriminalising cannabis; it’s a law they have no respect for and one they were quick to break, and all under the watchful eye of police.
“Our role is to make sure this protest is peaceful and everyone gets away on time and in good humour,” said senior sergeant Scott Miller.
Bucket bongs, joints and a pipe lit with a magnifying glass were used to smoke up; there was even a hash cake although the decorator may have eaten some first.
But no matter how much was puffed there was still no movement from police – does this signal a change in stance by police?
“Well that’s not a comment I can make in relation to an overall stance by the police,” Mr Miller said.
Police say it was the Speaker Lockwood Smith’s office who issued the directive to only arrest protesters if they climbed over the barrier or became violent. Those two problems never threatened to fire up.
At today’s White Flag meeting, cannabis campaigners again lit up at Parliament. And no one was arrested. Presumably, the Speaker’s directive is still in force. Anyway, that’s the premise behind regular 4:20 meetings at 4:20 pm every Friday on Parliament lawns. See you there. 🙂
Preamble….
On the reoccurring theme of ‘what is the proper roll of Government?’ I submit to you another post about the census yet with an extra punch.
Thomas Jefferson wrote “He who governs best Governs least”. He penned the American Declaration of Independence which actually defined what the proper duties of Government are… to defend the God given rights of the individual, which is a very limited sphere of operation which does not include the supply or control of such services as Education, hospitals, arts and sports, etc… all of which are the proper sphere of Free enterprise and private voluntary associations.
It is because western society has forgotten such enlightened principles as motivated Jefferson and the founding Fathers of America and instead have adopted a totalitarian socialist conception of government where the prevailing belief is that all of life’s problems have political solutions that western civilization teeters on the brink of Absolute economic collapse and chaos!
Keep this in mind when you read my following blog post.
Understand the gravity of the situation… the rationale that underpins the so-called justification for having the compulsory census…
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^^^^ That is the Cover pic from the Government Facebook page Census NZ. Here:
It clearly demonstrates why the enlightened Kiwi is outraged by the underpinning arguments which Census NZ, and the Government use to vindicate this compulsory violation of our privacy… ie that the information gathered will be used to for their Social planning.
Bread and Circus.
Notice how this picture appeals to the unthinking… ‘the government as the font of all culture….get someone else to pay for it ‘ mentality…
‘More Drag strips, more skate parks, More Gigs and festivals, more sports…etc etc’.
Notice it completely forgets to add “More Taxes, more rates…. More Debt, more compulsions and property violations!, More Government poking it’s nose into things which are not it’s business to be involved in!
Now I like Drag strips, Concerts, etc yet I am not so stupid as to believe these things are only possible via political interventions!
I also know that every time the Government or city council builds a stadium or sports facility and events that they always run massively over budget and put us into massive debts…. And end up costing Rate payers and Tax slaves Tens of millions of dollars…. Every time!
Three examples from my home town of Hamilton will suffice as examples.
The Rugby stadium.
The V8 Supercars.
The Claudlands event center.
Each of these cost Hamilton Ratepayers many 10’s of Millions of dollars… over the price the Hamilton city council told ratepayers they would cost!
Via consecutive socialist medaling the HCC has racked up $500 million in debts!
And what needs to be appreciated is that this bankrupt situation is the norm across the globe in western socialist democracies… ie Socialist politicians are systematically bankrupting their captive populations! Debts are skyrocketing and Rates are going through the Roof!
Yet nobody seems to be waking up to the fact That City councils ought not to be involved in such ventures!
They are best left to Free enterprise, and voluntary associations, whom are much more realistic about how such things get build and on what scale.
Most importantly they don’t demand money via compulsory taxations upon the community!
Ie Little old ladies living on pensions don’t face rent increases or rates hikes to pay for the white elephants and delusions of grandeur which Big mouth big promising politicians spout at election time to get elected!
If the figures don’t add up… they don’t get built its as simple as that…. Ie economic reality prevails…. Not ridiculous socialist whim.
The sort of people whom support the Council/ government involvement in such things are either Ignorant, evil, or both!
The ignorant have not figured out that such things will turn around an bite them on the arse via higher rates, rents, and costs for necessities in goods and services, and the evil don’t give a damn if people whom don’t like Rugby, etc are forced to pay for New stadiums etc . All they care about is having a flash new place to worship their sporting Gods! They are too stupid to realize that Better stadiums and facilities could be established via legitimate means without the use of Draconian powers of compusion.
Here are just a couple of articles I have plucked off the net…
And below are some links to some blog posts I have done on thes subjects covering some of my own Libertarian Election campaigns standing for Hamilton city council in direct opposition to this Bankrupt big spending socialism….
How to solve Hamilton’s rates crisis
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0709/S00333.htm
The Police and CYF say they are entitled to contact an employer, make damaging statements and refuse to provide any evidence. On Monday 11 March 2013 Johan Aarts will be taking on the Commissioner of Police and Others in the Employment Court in Auckland.
“If the Police are allowed to get away with this then you could be next innocent person to lose your employment and career on the basis of untested and falsified evidence” says Aarts
A secret High Court hearing was held in Rotorua on 20 November 2012 from which the media and members of the public were excluded. An article was published in the Sunday Star Times of 25 November 2013 and was also published on the www.stuff.co.nz website. However the article was removed from “Stuff” the same day following a complaint from The Crown Law Office who are representing the Police and CYF in this matter.
Chief Employment Court Judge Colgan has confirmed that this hearing on Monday will be conducted in open court and the media will be allowed to report on proceedings.
Mr Aarts will be represented by lay advocate Robert Lee who has called Defendant Police Commissioner Peter Marshall as a witness.
Tim Wikiriwhi
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0276630331
9-3-13
Dear Census Collector,
Because of my Christian Libertarian principles I refuse to fill out the Census Papers.
Because they are compulsory, I know they are a violation of my right to privacy and a demonstration of the fact that our government seeks to operate via a Master- Slave relationship.
I reject this conception of government.
The Government works for me.
I am not their servant.
Nor do I accept the utilitarian argument that the Census is ‘helpful’ for the Government in respect to Social planning and policy.
I utterly condemn their totalitarian manipulation as if we, the citizens of New Zealand, are merely a pawns in their game… to be used and controlled as they please.
I reject their Social engineering for the failure and tyranny that it is!
Thus I want my Taxes and my liberty back!
I have no intension of mandating their power tripping madness!
And I know that the government already has all the information regarding how many people live at this address, and how much each individual earns etc, so this fact also makes a double travesty and lie about the so-called necessity to have a compulsory Census.
Furthermore this compulsory Census is estimated to cost me, my family, friends, and neighbors 70-90 million dollars!
It is a gross misappropriation and waste of our hard earned money which was rapaciously extorted from us via other unjust and tyrannical laws and powers!(Re the IRD)
I personally have stood for Parliament many times in the Hamilton West electorate, both as a member of the Libertarianz party, and as an Independent Libertarian with the intension of getting into parliament to bring such socialist despotisms to a end.
Thus I cannot in good conscience fill out the census as it represents everything repugnant about oppressive Government power for which I have dedicated myself to overthrow.
Some people have suggested I fill it out with bogus answers like ‘Jedi’ as my religion… as 56000 people did in 2001, yet I can not do that in good conscience either!
It is no secret that am a Christian, yet I reject the State rights to demand I disclose such information to them.
History has proven what evils such information can bring at the hands of Diabolical Governments.
Thus my refusal to fill out the Census is a far more righteous protest to this intrusion than the thousands of people whom write in lies…. Yet never are they brought before the courts!
This fact proves the State chooses to persecute a tiny minority of principled contentious objectors like myself whose non-compliance has such a minuscule effect to the accuracy of the data collected in comparison to all the misinformation gathered from the thousands of kiwi whom also hate the violation of their privacy yet prefer to submit fraudulent papers rather than risk prosecution for absolute refusal.
That so many people fill out the census with lies just goes to prove what a farce the whole thing is! Compulsion does not increase the accuracy of collected Data!
The Compulsion touters are simply fanatical Statistians who want as large a data set as they can get their greedy hands upon.
I have no beef with the Census personnel.
They don’t write the rules, and most of them are simply trying to earn an honest dollar.
Yet I would ask them how it is that they in good conscience participate in such a nasty and intrusive Government program?
I ask how in good conscience they can parrot the threats of Court action and fines against contentious objectors like myself?
I can only assume they have not thought through the true oppressive nature of the job they are doing, or that some how they are of the belief that this intrusion can be justified… because of the imaginary ‘benefits’ this compulsion is supposed to deliver.
I have no desire to appear before court, or to be convicted, or fined.
I have a Job to maintain and a Family to provide for and the very last thing I need is to hand over more of my money to a State system which is already robbing me blind!
That this is the truth about the census… that it threatens my livelihood and well being of my family is despicable!
With this in mind I am prepared to make the following compromise.
I will fill out my name and address and sign it. That is all.
This was acceptable for the Census people in 2001, and in 2006, and I hope this will be acceptable again in 2013.
That is my final offer.
I have not hassled my wife into refusing to fill out her forms.
She is free to follow her own conscience, and has filled them out as she saw fit.
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
I’m blogging on the wrong site.
Eternal vigilance sounds stressful – I think occasional vigilance is my limit. 🙂
Anyway… I just realised that Rotorua District Council never answered my questions… so I just emailed this follow up. Unfortunately I’m 5 days too late.
Hi XXXXX
I asked these questions of Council in December and was given contradictory answers – I needed authoritative answers to be able to make a submission regarding the Proposed District Plan designations.
I see the Proposed District Plan is now closed for submissions.
The Council has acted unfairly by not answering my questions before ending the consultation process.
I’d still like to know the answers to these questions.
Regards
Reed Robinson
On 16 December 2012 22:35, Reed wrote:
Hello
I have spoken with several Council representatives concerning the Proposed District Plan – in particular I have been enquiring about the proposed rural road designations.
Most recently I was advised by Council that the statutory authority being relied upon was the RMA (sections 166 to 186) and that Council will be seeking the designations in its capacity as a network utility operator under the Act.
This explanation doesn’t make sense and it contradicts an earlier explanation I was given by Council. The earlier explanation I was given was that Council was seeking to correct rural road (or road reserve) widths; that Council considered some roads too narrow and was seeking to widen roads (or road reserves) from 15m to 20m as part of the District Plan.
Can you please clarify the following points…
1. Is the Council proposing these designations in its capacity as a local authority or in its capacity as a network utility operator?
2. For what purpose is the Council proposing these designations?
3. What statutory authority is the Council relying on to propose these designations?
