NT Election update

The following is an excerpt from out latest NAPNT Email Digest. If you would like to receive this email newsletter, click here.

It’s only a two-week election campaign but we have definitely been on a roll so far. Our intention is not to win seats in parliament, we know that is not possible in our electoral system, but we are certainly achieving our objective in terms of raising the profile of the NAP and making the community think about drug policy issues in a different light.

This is a tactic we have used previously. The NAP ran Stuart Highway as our candidate for Darwin Lord Mayor last year:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/vote1stuart.html

We had an information stall in the mall every day during the week and this will continue right up until election day (June 18). The support we have received during these lunchtime stalls has been fantastic. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and lots of people are asking how they can get involved with the NAP.

If you are in Darwin, the stalls are at the Raintree Park end of the Smith Street Mall from 11.30am to 1.30pm. Please come along and help us hand out leaflets and educate the community about the irresponsibility of the prohibitionists.

It hasn’t all been smooth sailing in the mall however, Darwin City Council officers attempted to close down the stall on Thursday, setting the NT police on the NAP crew. Luckily, the police didn’t want any trouble in the peak of the tourist season so they just asked us to move the stall a couple of metres, to enable vehicle access to the mall. Funny that the only vehicles that access the mall are police vehicles used to remove ‘itinerants’ from the streets.

Unperturbed by the police inaction, the council workers were back the next day, and this time they issued an infringement notice ($50 fine) to our candidate for Johnston, Gary Meyerhoff. Read our press release here:
http://www.napnt.org/2005/06/council-fines-candidate.html

We have had a few good hits in the media, hits that we wouldn’t have had if we weren’t on the ballot papers. The NAP candidate for Nightcliff, Stuart Highway, was mentioned in the first ABC radio news reports on the nomination of candidates (June 6):
http://www.napnt.org/2005/06/80-candidates-to-contest-nt-poll.html

On the same day, NAP scored a great plug in this letter to the editor of the Northern Territory news:
http://www.napnt.org/2005/06/lets-give-our-candidates-thorough-exam.html

On Tuesday, Gary participated in a 30-minute forum with the other candidates for the seat of Johnston on the local ABC radio station. The presenter Annie Gastin read out our platform word for word and gave Gary ample opportunity to spread NAP’s message about drug law-reform and an end to police and other corruption in the Northern Territory.

And on Friday June 10 we scored to great hits in the Northern Territory News. We had released this media alert a few days prior:
http://www.napnt.org/2005/06/time-to-name-and-shame-corrupt-police.html

The NT News turned it into this:
http://www.napnt.org/2005/06/shame-name.html

In the same edition of the NT News, the published the following “election gossip”, which isn’t exactly true, but hey, any publicity is good publicity right?
http://www.napnt.org/2005/06/drug-crackdown-loses-votes.html

ABC radio will be having another 30-minute forum on Thursday the 16th of June in the morning and this time they will be focusing on the seat of Casuarina, contested by NAP candidate Scott White.

To see more of the NAP’s election media releases click here:
http://www.napnt.org/election2005.html#media

The saddest part about the whole election thing is that it brings you back to reality. The reality that the vast majority of Australian’s believe that we are living in a democracy and that their vote counts at the ballot box. The truth is that we are governed by the same corporations no matter who is in power. The Labor and Liberal parties are virtually the same, and they are not there to represent the little people on the ground, they are there to represent the interests of big business.

We hope that NAP supporters don’t think that we are true believers in the Australian political system. The opposite is the case. NAP is a revolutionary organization dedicated to fundamental change, from the bottom up. By running in the election we are able to expose Australian democracy as a façade.

If you want to help out with the election campaign please call the NAP team on 0415 16 2525 or email hq (at) napnt.org.

In a positive development, the NT branch of the Socialist Alliance has issued a statement calling on their supporters to vote for NAP candidates in the election. This support is very much appreciated. The SA statement is at:
http://www.napnt.org/2005/06/socialist-alliance-statement-on-nt.html

Footnote: Members of the NAP still have heaps of pending court cases. Since 2002 they have been charged with more than 100 offences between as part of an ongoing campaign of persecution and intimidation against NAP members, perpetrated by the NT Government and the police.

The following is a summary of outstanding court cases and dates. We appreciate having supporters at court. Please take the time to come along when you can.

The Parliament Invasion

9 NAP members ‘invaded’ the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory whilst it was in session on May 14, 2002. One person pleaded guilty at the first instance, was sentenced to two weeks’ jail but this was reduced to a good behaviour bond on appeal. See Justice Thomas’s decision at:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/transcripts/sc015.html

Seven people pleaded not guilty and went through a 16 day hearing in the Darwin Magistrate’s court in 2003. They were all found guilty. Five people were sentenced to between 14 and 21 months jail, suspended after 4 or 5 months. Four of those people appealed the sentence and conviction and one person appealed the sentence only. The appeal against conviction before 1 judge of the NT Supreme Court failed. Read Justice Angel’s decision here:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/transcripts/ntsc048.html

Three Napatistas are now appealing their conviction to the full bench of the Supreme Court and are waiting for a date for this. The appeal against the excessive sentence will not be heard until the conviction issue is resolved.

NAP member Scott White, who missed out on the Magistrate’s court hearing, will have a trial by jury for two weeks starting from July 18. Click here to read the latest article on Scott’s case (this has links to other articles on the parliament invasion):
http://www.napnt.org/pages/rob2.html

The defendants in this case were charged with breaching section 61 of the NT Criminal Code, “disturbing the legislative assembly whilst it was in session”, a charge that hasn’t been used before.

One person, Ema Corro, was also charged with an ‘aggravated assault’ charge and was found guilty in the NT Magistrate’s court. This conviction was recently overturned by the Supreme Court and this matter will be reheard in the Magistrate’s court. You can read the Chief Justice’s decision in this matter at:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/transcripts/ntsc023.html

The transcripts of the 16-day Magistrate’s court hearing are here:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/transcripts.html#parl

One Napatista has already served jail time as a result of this action. See:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/free_luke_masters.htm

In November last year, three NAP members spent two days in jail by ‘mistake’ as a result of this case. See:
http://www.napnt.org/2004/11/human-rights-activists-falsely.html

The 6th smoke-in

On October 12, 2002, the NT police attacked our 6th community smoke-in, sparking a near riot. A number of Napatistas were arrested. Four NAP members face numerous criminal damage charges due to damage to police cars that allegedly occurred on the day. There are also charges of assault police etc. They face a trial by jury in October, and ‘back-up’ charges in the Magistrate’s court after that. NAP member Rob Inder-Smith was found guilty* in the Darwin Magistrate’s court for ‘hindering police’ at the smoke-in, however, this conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court and will be reheard in the Magistrate’s court with another magistrate. Rob has a mention of this matter at the Magistrate’s court on July 7 at 9am. At the same time, Rob, Gary, Stuart, Nicolette and Micky have a mention in the Supreme Court with regards to this matter.

*Click on the following link to read more about the bias of the Magistrates:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/loadmanofshit.html

For more information about the 6th Smoke-in see:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/Articles_28.htm

The transcripts of the committal hearing are available here:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/transcripts.html#6smoke

The occupation of Clare Martin’s office

On the day the ‘drug house’ laws came into effect in the NT (August 1, 2002), Napatistas occupied the electorate office of NT Chief Minister Clare Martin for approximately half an hour, sparking a typically over-the-top police response. The NAP crew were charged with ‘business invasion’ (section 226b of the NT Criminal Code). This is a new offence created by the Labor Government. NAP members were the first people charged with this offence for a previous occupation of the NT Chief Health Officer’s office (that time they were found not guilty of the offence, but guilty of the ‘backup’ charge of trespass). For occupying Clare Martin’s office four NAP members have been committed to stand trial by jury in the NT Supreme Court in October, followed by backup charges in the Magistrate’s Court.

Click here to read an article written by Ema Corro when the Napatistas were charged:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/US-bases.htm

The transcripts of the committal hearing are available here:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/transcripts.html#cmoffice

Bill-pasting

In 2003, two NAP members were arrested for sticking up posters. NAP members had already been charged with 34 counts of criminal damage for this practice but had been found not guilty in every case. This time, the police dropped the criminal damage charges and Darwin City Council issued an infringement notice. NAP member Gary Meyerhoff elected to have the matter dealt with by the Magistrate’s court and he was found guilty of the offence and put on a good behaviour bond. He appealed unsuccessfully to one judge at the NT Supreme Court* and has now appealed this matter to the full bench of the NT Supreme Court.

*You can read the decision of Justice Southwood here:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/transcripts/ntsc019.html

Permit problem

On Friday June 10, Gary was issued with a $50 infringement notice for not obtaining a permit for a NAP election stall in the Smith Street Mall. Gary has elected to have this matter dealt with by the courts and is waiting to be summonsed.

Contempt

In October 2002, Napatista Nicolette Burrows was found guilty of contempt of court by Magistrate Daynor Trigg. This matter is currently on appeal to the NT Supreme Court. To read more about this case see:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/Articles_30.htm

Some past court battles

The first community smoke-in.

Five arrested but all charges dropped. The arrests were later determined to be unlawful by the NT Ombudsman. See:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/Articles_1.htm

The Drug Users’ Embassy

Two NAP members found guilty of “failing to comply with an instruction from an authorized officer of the Legislative Assembly (under the Legislative Assembly Security Act). One Napatista remains at large with a warrant for this case. See:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/Peoples-Embassy.htm

The occupation of the NT Chief Health Officer’s office

A number of NAP members were charged with ‘business invasion’ (section 226b of the NT Criminal Code – the first people to be charged with this new offense which carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ jail). In the Darwin Magistrate’s court, they were found not guilty of ‘business invasion’, but guilty of trespass. One Napatista remains at large with a warrant for this case. See:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/Articles_20.htm

And another article on this case see:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/Paper-shuffling.htm

The Justice Department demonstration

In March 2002, five NAP activists were arrested after a protest outside the Justice Department building in Mitchell Street, Darwin. Charges ranged from ‘causing substantial annoyance’, undue noise, ‘failing to cease to loiter’ etc. A number of NAP members had a hearing in the magistrate’s court and were found not guilty of all of the charges. One Napatista remains at large with a warrant for this case. See:
http://www.napnt.org/2002/08/protesters-acquitted-on-loitering.html

Stay up to date

To stay up to date with our constantly changing court dates see:
http://www.napnt.org/diary.htm

Some of our court transcripts are online at:
http://www.napnt.org/pages/transcripts.html