Darwin City Council election candidates declare war on Drug Prohibition

Three members of the Darwin based Network Against Prohibition have been nominated to stand for positions in the Darwin City Council election to be held on the 29th of May.

Stuart Highway, long term human rights activist, has been nominated for the position of Lord Mayor.

Robert Inder-Smith, journalist and civil liberties campaigner will stand in the Chan Ward and Gary Meyerhoff, youth worker, injecting drug user and co-founder of the Network Against Prohibition will contest the Lyons Ward.

All three NAP activists face between 15 and 21 months jail for their role in a peaceful invasion of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in May 2002. The trio are currently out on bail and face a hearing in the Northern Territory Supreme Court in June. It is highly likely that they will be imprisoned.

The Network Against Prohibition are hoping to use the election campaign to highlight the plight of illicit drug users in the Northern Territory, who are subject to daily human rights abuses. NAP was formed in March 2002 to campaign against the Northern Territory Government’s ‘drug house’ legislation. Since its formation, members of NAP have been charged with more than 100 criminal offences by the NT Police Service.

Lord Mayor in waiting Stuart Highway said “ none of us can be really free in this city while there is an innocent woman languishing in Berrimah prison. Her name is Margot Laughton, a 55 year-old indigenous woman, the first victim of the ‘drug house’ laws, and targeted maliciously by the racist NT Police State for the victimless ‘crime’ of selling Cannabis.”

“Margot is one of many NT residents who are currently incarcerated in Berrimah prison for victimless drug offences.”

Stuart Highway and the NAP team will launch their campaign to seize control of the Darwin City Council at their 17th Community Smoke-in for Human Rights to be held at 12 noon on Saturday the 8th May. Stuart will light a giant joint in protest against the NT government’s ‘drug house’ legislation.

For further information contact the NAP media facilitator on 0415 16 2525 or see http://www.napnt.org

Contact Information:

Lord Mayor in waiting – Stuart Highway (08) 8948 2547

Chan Ward – Robert Inder-Smith (08) 8985 6334

Lyons Ward – Gary Meyerhoff (08) 8942 0570

Campaign facilitator - Michael Lambe 0408 893 142