Solomon in spotlight as drug users declare: “Don’t Vote!”

The electorate of Solomon is in the spotlight after a local drug law reform organisation urged its members and supporters not to vote on October 9.

NAP spokesperson Timothy Curtis said: “Australia will continue to be run by fascist corporations regardless of who wins this weekend’s Federal election – and voters should boycott the ballot in protest.”

That’s the view of progressive Darwin activist group, the Network Against Prohibition, which has launched a “don’t vote” campaign on its website and in the streets. The streets of Darwin became a canvas for NAP activists who spray painted anti-voting slogans and pasted anti-voting posters. The NAP web site www.napnt.org received 300,000 hits in September. A recent report has revealed that over 30% of the Northern Territory electorate are uninterested in who wins the election. (‘Media Watch’ quoting the NT News - 5th October)

The “don’t vote” campaign was launched at Darwin’s October 1 “End the Lies” protest in Raintree Park. The NAP speech came as a surprise to other political groups intent on mounting votes against John Howard. NAP activist Gary Meyerhoff also criticised the Green Party and the Socialist Alliance for misleading Australian’s into believing that their vote counts.

Green Senator Bob Brown is singled out for what NAP considers his deliberate failure to face up to the realities of the war on drugs.

Mr Meyerhoff said: “While the Socialists and the Greens have thrown their weight behind Mark Latham’s Labor Party they have failed to inform voters of the impact of zero tolerance policing tactics in Labor States and the Northern Territory.”

“These are the real rogue states. Under Labor state governments, prison incarceration rates have increased by 50%.”

In the Northern Territory, Labor leader Clare Martin presides over the highest ever indigenous incarceration rate, nearly 90%. She is following Bob Carr’s approach which is to build another prison.

For more information call NAP on 0415 16 2525, Greens Senator Bob Brown on (02) 6277 3170 or see http://www.napnt.org/pages/dont_vote_2004.html