36 YEARS OUT OF DATE! – It has been 36 years since the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 was first enacted, it needs to be overhauled and replaced; The Act has been amended on numerous occasions and is complex and difficult to understand and navigate. The Act’s framework is based on the recommendations of the 1973 report of the Blake-Palmer Committee and largely reflects the drug policies and issues of that era. There is concern that the Act is not well aligned with New Zealand’s National Drug Policy and does not pr
ovide a coherent and effective legislative framework for responding to the use of psychoactive drugs.
LAW COMMISSION REPORT – In 2010 The Law Commission issued its report, Controlling and Regulating Drugs – A Review of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 (NZLC R122, 2011). Among the key proposals contained in the report are:
• Legalising cannabis for medicinal use.
• A mandatory cautioning scheme for all personal possession and use offences that come to the attention of the police, removing minor drug offenders from the criminal justice system and providing greater opportunities for those in need of treatment to access it.
• A full scale review of the current drug classification system which is used to determine restrictiveness of controls and severity of penalties, addressing existing inconsistencies and focusing solely on assessing a drug’s risk of harm, including social harm.
GOVERMENT FAILURE! – Our government has failed to act urgently on some of the key proposals and as a result, people who use cannabis for medicinal purposes are being arrested, charged, convicted and even sent to prison!
Billy Mckee is our latest victim, he is an amputee and the director for GreenCross (a support group for people who use cannabis medicinally) he is facing one charge of cultivating cannabis and four charges of selling small quantities of cannabis to an undercover policeman who entrapped him by posing as someone suffering from severe migraines.
Billy is being sentenced at 9.00am Tuesday the 30th October at Palmerston North High Court and could get up to 8 years in jail for this act of compassion, this is clearly not justice.
MASS PROTEST! – We are arriving at Palmerston North High Court on Monday the 29th October by 4:00 pm for a public display of non-violent civil disobedience at 4:20 pm. We will then picket the courthouse until 8pm at which time our overnight candlelight vigil will begin, devoted to Billy Mckee and in solidarity with all medical cannabis users around NZ and the world. From 9am on the 30th we will picket the courthouse and sit with him in the courtroom until he is sentenced and/or freed.
Billy lost a leg due to a car crash he is confined to a wheelchair and in constant pain from nerve damage to the stump as well as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The pain medications he was prescribed by doctors caused intolerable side effects where even driving was unsafe.
Prison terms have also been imposed on other medical cannabis users due to a law that lacks compassion. Please come along to the protest to show your disgust at our government’s lack of compassion and their failure to act upon the law commisions recommendations!
https://www.facebook.com/events/390864380978876/
MASS PROTEST- Government Failure!
Monday, October 29 at 4:00pm at Palmerston North District Court Join
1. In democracies the government’s authority comes from the people.
2. The people lack the authority to dictate terms of other people’s contracts.
3. therefore, in democracies the government lacks the authority to dictate terms of other people’s contracts.
It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity:
Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond.
A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity. A review of the Department’s files shows that no permits have been issued Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.
The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations.. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2010.
Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff. Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action..
We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.
Sincerely, David L. Price
District Representative and Water Management Division.
********************************************************************************
Response sent back by Mr. DeVries:
Re: DEQ File
No.. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Lycoming County
Dear Mr. Price,
Your certified letter dated 11/17/09 has been handed to me. I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget Lane , Trout Run, Pennsylvania.
A couple of beavers are in the process of constructing and maintaining two wood ‘debris’ dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond. While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials ‘debris.’
I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.
These are the beavers/contractors you are seeking. As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity.
My first dam question to you is:
(1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or
(2) Do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request?
If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. (Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Pennsylvania Compiled Laws, annotated.)
I have several dam concerns. My first dam concern is, aren’t the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation — so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer.
The Department’s dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect. In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling them dam names.
If you want the damed stream ‘restored’ to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers — but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter, they being unable to read English.
In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers’ Dams).
So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2010? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice by then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to contact/harass them.
In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention to a real environmental quality, health, problem in the area It is the bears! Bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your dam step! The bears are not careful where they dump!
Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office.
Little Madison is battling for her life.
Her Mummy needs finacial help to get her the opperation she needs to survive!
They are a long way away from the $200 000 that they are hoping to raise.
Please do what you can to help them.
Make a payment… $200.00, $300.00, $500.00 +
Can you ignore this?
You say you need a new Smart phone?, to upgrade your laptop?
Do you really think thats more important than helping this little darling?
Its time for some altruist self sacrifice!
Do it!
Do what you would hope and pray that others might do for your child if you found yourself in their shoes!
Care enough to make a personal sacrifice.
Be a Guardain Angel for this Family!
Come on Christian Brothers and Sisters!
We are the Body of Christ!
God’s Hands and feet.
He works through our love of humanity and faithfulness.
Show the World the love of Christ.
Rise up ye Libertarians!
You say Socialism is evil because it uses coersion.
You say that you dont need to be forced to do what is right.
Now is the time to prove it!
Let’s help get this little girl the medical care she needs!
This is part 2 of my coverage on the Liberty Conference. Crowne Hotel, Auckland City. 6-10-12.
Part one: Liberty Conference Here:
Important Note:
This article is ‘the truth’ as seen though my lens. Ie The words used are sometimes virbatim… sometimes my colourful interpretation.
Kiwi Legend and super city councillor Dick Quax speaking at the Liberty Conference Auckland 6-10-12.
Dick jumped in last minute to fill in for Whale Oil Blogger Cameron Slater whom could not make it due to the death of his mother. We at ‘Eternal Vigilance’ express our condolences to you Cameron and regret that you could not be there.
Dick Quax did a spectacular job filling in at short notice… Thank’s Dick!
It has been 2 weeks since the ‘Liberty Conference’ was held in Auckland, and I have been too knackered to write this second half of my review… I can delay no longer.
In this second section I would like to review what was discussed in respect to local body Politics, esp the contributions made by Kiwi Legend and Supercity councilor Dick Quax, and retired city planning engineer and developer David Willmott.
This is a topic of interest to me, having been involved in pubic debates on Local body issues, making submissions on bills, and having stood in many elections for Hamilton City Council, both for Mayor and Council, as a representative of the Libertarianz party and as an Independent.
The Liberty Conference opened discussion on how Liberty lovers ought to concern themselves with Local Body Politics.
Stephen Berry.
Conference Organiser Stephen Berry spoke about his experiences and various stratagems standing for Mayor of Auckland city. Though he confessed that despite his best efforts to Bombing out big time at the polls, and being bitterly disappointed, none the less he is convinced Local Body politics is something that Liberty lovers ought to be involved with both for it’s own sake, and as a platform to increase public profile to boost efforts in National level politics.
Steve’s experiences and emotions, and ultimate faith that any future association of liberty lovers ought to involve themselves in local body politics reflect my personal experiences in Hamilton. I too have suffered miserable results at the polls, yet still believe Rate payers are in dire need of Candidates offering real alternatives to the Big spending tyrannical, Socialist/ United Nations Agenda 21 ideology driven Busy bodies whom have dominated the Local Body politics of our Nation.
Steve did not mention one of the chief reasons why guys like us bomb at the polls is that despite our best efforts we are up against a horrendously un-level playing field in Local body democracy due to the Moral bankruptcy of 90% of the Media whom… unless you are a TV personality or sportsperson… purposely shut you out of Election time discussions, thus utterly failing in their duty to inform voters of alternative arguments, possibilities, and directions to the Status quo.
I discuss this failure of the Media here:
and here:
Yet still the Liberty Conference was convened to rethink our methods, and form a strategy to break through the Media black out and win elections.
More on this in the conclusion.
Dave Willmott.
There were two ‘insider’ speeches delivered at the Conference.
One by Ex City engineer and developer David Willmott.
He stood as a candidate for the Super-city in 2010.
The other was a spectacular Speech from Super city Councilor and Kiwi Champion Runner, Dick Quax.
Both talked on a similar thread but from different experiences and insights.
Both spoke well.
Now I am someone whom has always been scathing of the voting mentality that elects ‘Celebrity candidates’, and so I was pleasantly surprised and very impressed with Dick’s insider view into the mindset of the Super city Council and Mayor Len Brown.
There is certainly more to Dick Quax than Athletics.
Dick decried the Platitude of Len Brown’s “The world’s most livable city”… saying Auckland was fast becoming too expensive to live in!
That Kiwi dream…Home ownership…is dropping at an alarming rate.
What more the planning would increase the evils of inner city life… less room outside for kids to play and exercise… thus more obesity, less nature…more ‘industrial disease’, etc.
David pointed out that ½ a years income bought you a 1/5 acre section in the 1970s.
Both speeches were scathing about the rising costs of building a home. Both speakers blamed the High cost of sections squarely on the shoulders of city councils whom refuse to permit the expansion of the city… by severe restrictions on the development of land on the boundaries.
Dick Quax explained that in consequence of the swamp of bureaucracy, there is currently a gross shortage of New homes being build, thus the high demand for housing in Auckland drives Real-estate prices through the roof!
He explained Len Browns vision was to even further exacerbate this problem.
Dick called Len Brown’s Unitary plan “The Great Leap backwards”, pointing out that though Auckland already had a population density 3 times greater than Perth, that it was the intent of the Leftist’s to further exacerbate this.
He said that Len Brown’s council are consumed with an Ideological vision of everyone living in High rise apartments built alongside a train tack!
I kept waiting to hear the words ‘Agenda 21’ … and was surprised they never came.
Dick’s experiences, and concerns exactly parallel what I have seen going on in Hamilton City… the Leftist Social engineering hell bent on implementing this Diabolical United Nations Agenda… against the dreams and aspirations of New Zealanders. Of course the primary method of establishing this Leftist Utopia is by propagating
Terror of Freedom… Preaching Global catastrophe, and Greed… the selfishness of owning your own ¼ acre… and driving your own car!
Totalitarianism to the rescue!
Dick talked about Len Brown’s determination to re-establish a ‘monocentric’ city via draconian means.
This parallels with Hamilton City councils fixation with the CBD…. wasting millions of Rate payer dollars on ‘Facelifts’ and also via heavy restrictions on business which threatens to drain customer Patronage away from the established/ olde town square.
Their Diabolical plan included ‘Variation 21’… an attempt to resist the natural development of a Polycentric city, buy refusing to grant consent to the construction Malls and development outside the CBD… Blatant protectionism of the ‘Old Boys’ Money interests, and attempting to force the public to patronise the City council Metered Parking, and parking buildings, etc.
Thankfully Hamilton City was Defeated by Tainui, and They developed ‘The Base’… New Zealand’s biggest Mall out North West in Pukete.
Yet still developers face constant resistance from a Belligerent Hamilton City Council.
Read about my proposed solutions as Libertarianz party Mayoral Candidate Here:
In Hamilton Len Brown’s Rail based Hive, has been mirrored in Hamilton city councilor Dave Mcpherson who recently abandoned the Transport portfolio after a decade of attempting to establish City Rail in Hamilton (In particular a rail link between Auckland and Hamiltion).
That it was an economic absurdity that would have driven up an already staggering City debt was of no concern to Big Dave!
Like all Lefties Dave shows complete disregard for how his policies affect Taxpayers and Rate payers. I stood up many times and told Hamiltonians that The grand schemes and promises of McPherson and would be Mayor Julie Hardacre would come to naught.
I pointed out that these sorts of policies had already bankrupted Hamilton city and put us in financial crisis.
When my predictions came true no journalist from the Waikato times has bothered to interview me to discover how was able to predict the current crisis, or to report My honesty at election time, or the dishonesty of the New Mayor.
Read about my attempts to save Hamilton ratepayers from Bankruptcy Here:
Dick Quax exposed the same disregard for Ratepayers was patently obvious in the Super-city. In his words…” How reckless the council is with other peoples money”.
Rates increases for Aucklanders are planned at 2.5 times the rate of inflation, That rates would increase by 56% over the period covered by the plan ($2000 dolar Rates bill will become $3600), and still Len Browne would be borrowing a Billion dollars a Year!
Future ratepayers will be left with a megga debt so that 0.25c in every ratepayer dollar will go on interest servicing the legacy of Len’s Lefties.
And to establish this ‘Schemeo Grande ’ Len Browne is busy accruing Megga powers so that that no appeals can be lodged against Council edicts.
Cheak out the Gatuitous Salaries of the Auckland City exec Here!
Now David Willmott was provoked to wrath in respect to what he saw as Ideological tyranny and foolishness… as opposed to Pragmatic solutions.
And I 100% agree that the Socialist ideology is to blame for this cancer which is effecting virtually every city in western civilization to one degree or another.
It is the UN Driven Agenda 21in action.
I disagree with Dave’s conclusion that this situation proves that All ideologies are to be forsaken in favour of Raw Pragmatism (Ironically that view is a very flawed ideology in itself!) My solution is to overcome the corrupt totalitarianism of the left with a more just ideology which Restores the rights and liberties of the ratepayers, Removes all the bogus regulations which artificially drive the cost of land through the roof and make the construction of new homes unaffordable, and knock the city council off it’s heavenly perch back down to earth… as the janitors of the city… that’s all.
My biggest regret of the conference was that Dick left before I was able to introduce myself, and congratulate him for his awsome insights!
I would have loved to have sat down with a Beer and had a yarn with him.
Peter Cresswell.
Peter Cresswell put forward the proposal the Liberty lovers contest Local body elections under the Banner ‘Affordable Auckland’… ‘Affordable Hamilton’, etc say that this would have great appeal to the hard pressed Ratepayers, and would be difficult for opposition to oppose.
Others stood up and said it would be difficult for a National level campaign to capitalize off Local body activism using that brand, and that any local body activism ought to share the same branding as the National level campaigns.
Others were wondering how ‘the five policies’ (see part 1) of Tax relief, legalizing cannabis and euthanasia, Ending Waitangi racism, and Balancing the budget could be applied to Local body politics.
Obviously some of these would not really fit.
Would Candidates be able to express their personal opinion on broader issues?
Daniel Peterson
Daniel Peterson stood up and made the point that local body politics does get involve in private matters like drinking, and this has been my experience in Hamilton as well, in respect to such things as Opposing Casinos, and The heavy handed prostitution bi law, attempting to stop Boobs on bikes, etc.
I have always spoken out against the City Council playing Moral dictators… like the Taliban.
Just how any New Liberty Party would deal with these issues is yet to be worked out.
That there is a dire need to Reform local body politics and fight the diabolical Lefty Agenda 21 tyranny …there can be little dispute.
I asked Steven berry to include me in the working group charged with coming up with solid proposals for consideration at the next conference 2-2-13.
I have not yet herd anything from Steve.
Anyone interested in these things ought to consider attending the 2-2-13 conference.
John Ansell has just appeared on TV one’s ‘Marae’.
I did not see it, and will either embed it when it appears on You Tube, or post a link to it shortly.
I absolutely Support John Ansell. Race based Law is Morally repugnant. The Privilege he is referring to is the Political favouritism which skews everything in favour of Maori Radicals and racists, eg the Separatist Seats in Parliament and councils, etc… The One eyed Waitangi Tribunal, The special interventional written into the RMA all of which are used as levers to siphon loot into ‘Special interest’ coffers. The benefactors of this filthy lucre is rarely ‘Rangi in Ranui’… but the Tribal Fat Cat elitists and Bureaucrats whom like all socialist politicians use the ongoing misery of their failed Ideology as a Ruse to demand alms… which like rice in Africa… never get past the corrupt officials.
The truth is that Maori will be much better off when Waitangi racism has been overthrown …being liberated from the perpetual ‘victim mentality’ which their leaders foster. Under equality Maori will thrive as they do in Australia etc… where they get no special treatment, and understand that if they are to have a prosperous life they must achieve it via their own efforts… not via political extortion.
The Current Politicized ‘Renaissance in Maori Culture is Fake! I cringe when I watch the pretentious ‘Acting’ of the radicals whom pretend to be ‘Old world Maori’… whom think that you have to be like that to be a Mori today!
And heres the truth! Under Equality… when the Treaty separatism has been Abolished those whom wish to ‘Play Maori’ will still be free to do so! Ie Freedom is no threat to Maori Culture… Real or ‘Idealised’…. It is only a threat to the racists and extortionists whom enjoy using Political means to impose their views upon others, to use the education system as an engine of Propaganda, and to extort loot.
That The racists have been allowed to assume the leadership of the Maori People, has brought shame upon us.
I salute John Ansell for his courage, and benevolence for all New Zealanders…including the Liberation of Maori from Apartheid hatred and greed.
“Legalising” gay “marriage” is not the solution to the problem of “marriage inequality”.
The solution to the problem is for the government to get out of the business of issuing “marriage licences” to opposite-sex couples, not for it to get into the business of issuing “marriage licences” to same-sex couples.
Why should anyone require a licence from the government to get married, anyway? Libertarians should be concerned with abolishing such governmental intrusions, not clamouring for “intrusion equality”, or insisting that the State “should recognise everybody’s right to be equally miserable.”
The solution has a precedent in the abolition of titular Knighthood and Damehood honours by Helen Clark. (They were restored by John Key in 2009.) Wikipedia says
In April 2000 the new Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark announced that knighthoods and damehoods were abolished, and the order’s statutes were amended accordingly. Between 2000 and 2009, the two highest awards were called Principal Companion (PCNZM) and Distinguished Companion (DCNZM), and recipients did not receive the title “Sir” or “Dame”. Their award was recognised solely by the use of post-nominal letters, as for the lower levels of the order.
The government simply needs to set a date after which marriage licences will no longer be issued. Civil unions will be the only option available for gay and non-gay couples wanting governmental endorsement of their love lives and living arrangements. Existing marriage licences issued by the government, and those issued by other governments, would continue to be recognised, but the government would cease to issue new marriage licences after the set date.
After much time spent considering my co-bloggers’ excellent arguments both for (Tim) and against (Reed) Louisa Wall’s “marriage equality” bill, I’m off the fence now and picking the splinters out of my scrotum. I’m for marriage equality and against Wall’s bill.
While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”
Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” (NIV)
“At 7:53 pm our sweet Lane gained his Angel wings. Our hearts are broken but God has performed a World Wide Miracle through Lane over the past few weeks. Please continue to pray for our family especially Lane’s little brother Landen.”
Prayers for Lane Goodwin Here:
Lane’s Battle against Cancer was witnessed by thousands of people around the globe.
Thousands of people prayed for his recovery, yet alas… God saw fit to take him home.
He was 13 year old.
Lane’s story makes us appreciate just how vital it is to donate money to finding a cure for this horrible disease which robs children of their chance to have a full life.
His story teaches us just how fragile our Lives are, and that we must never allow pettiness to dominate our existance, but to always appreciate what is important… every day we get to share with our loved ones.
We praise the Lord for Lane’s life, and the valuable lessons his testimony has taught us.
Merciful Lord! I pray you bring peace into his families life… esp little Landen.
Amen.
Some People may be asking important Questions… How can a Good God exist when there is so much evil in the world? Why do innocent children get sick and Die?
These are very difficult to answer.
Now is not an aprorpriate time for philosophizing.
It is a Time for Lane’s loved one’s to grieve, and celebrate Lanes Life.
When people start seeking explainations I have made some attempt to do just that in a series of Blog posts starting Here:
I believe there is satisfatory explanation.
I also believe their are rational grounds for Faith and Hope, That Death is not the end.
Enough said.
