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Drunken
NT Police Minister Destroys Anti-Drug Laws Parliamentary Petition NAP -- Network Against Prohibition was present at the 'May Day' rally held in Darwin (Northern Territory, Australia) on May 6, 2002. NAP members are campaigning against Labor's zero tolerance policy towards drug users in the Territory. A Parliamentary
petition was circulated by NAP members to members of the public... ____________________________ Petition: Say no to Labor's Drug Laws! To the honourable speaker and members assembled in parliament of the Legislative Assembly of the Northern territory: We, the undersigned ask the Legislative Assembly to: Provide a full
range of pharmacotherapies for dependent drug users,
Repeal the
Public Order and Anti-Social Conduct Act (2001),
Scrap the drug
house legislation proposed by the government. ...a NAP member was unaware that the beer-gutted individual drinking a can of beer, he approached to sign the petition, was Syd Stirling, NT Labor's Police Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. Instead of simply
handing the petition back, Mr Stirling chose to render it useless by
scrawling across the signature boxes... Apart from his obvious contempt for democratic process, Mr Stirling has also expressed contempt for Parliament... ...Of
relevance, the Bible of Parliamentary procedure, Erskine May's Treatise
on the Law, Privileges, Proceedings and the Usage of Parliament
(Twenty-first Edition), sets out the principles relevant to documents
presented to the House, including petitions. Obviously the petition is one clearly intended for Parliamentary submission. While the petition has not yet been "presented" to the House, neither has it been "rejected" nor deemed "non-compliant" by Parliament. People ask why NAP do not approach the NT Labor Party with our concerns about their zero tolerance policy regarding drug users... ...the ugly confrontation between NT Police and peaceful pot protestors at Raintree Park (April 20, 2002) which resulted in six assault charges against the Police... ... the forcible removal of the NAP People's Embassy (02, May 2002) ...and now this blatant contempt for our right to publically petition Parliament, should be ample explanation. Clare Martin spoke at the May Day rally, "pledg(ing) open government of broad representation that would listen to the electorate." (NT News, May 06, 2002) NT News telephone poll:
"Are police targeting the right people in relation to the use of
marijuana?" (NT News, 29 April, 2002) -- shortly after the violent
confrontation at Raintree Park. A zero tolerance policy that extends to the rights of drug users to peaceably assemble and petition Parliament, is totally at odds with Ms Martin's, "pledge... (to) ...listen to the electorate". NAP are seeking legal advice in regard to charging NT Police Minister Syd Stirling with "contempt of Parliament". That the NT's Deputy Chief Minister is guilty of contempt for the people of the Northern Territory, has already been established. |
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Another lazy Sunday in
tropical Darwin. Another beautiful day in the dry season. Another
day in the life...
..I am woken by fellow
NAP activist Scott White. We head off to the Nightcliff markets to
promote an action planned for the 8th of May outside NT Parliament
House.
The NAP campaign has
received overwhelming support from market goers.
Wider community support
is also evidenced by a recent telephone poll run by the NT News which
asked "Are police targeting the right people in relation to the use of
marijuana?" -- 84% of respondents believed police were targeting the
wrong people.
The poll followed the
assaults on NAP activists at Raintree Park.
After talking to people
at the Market, I walked to a friend's home to inform people there about
the rally, unaware that my friend was being raided by NT Police.
While there I
commiserated with a young aboriginal boy who had been arrested by
the police for 'offensive language'. He was being held in the back of a
police van. I gave him a cigarette and agreed with the accuracy of his
'description' of the NT Police.
A bizarre-looking
detective, in a set of boardshorts (crow-bar in hand) challenged my
presence at the house. I replied that I was visiting friends and asked
under which law I was now being asked to 'move on'. The detective was
unhelpful.
Not wishing to be
arrested that day, I said goodbye and good luck to the youth in the
Police van.
Visiting another
friend's home, I found that he too was being raided by the Police.
Obviously a busy day for NT police, protecting society from victimless
'crime'.
Returning to the
previously raided friend's home, I spoke with a few young people about
the rally, before heading back to the Markets to be picked up by Scott.
After 20 minutes of
waiting at the Market, my boredom was alleviated by the arrival of an
NT Police van in the car park ...quickly followed by a second.
Four officers surrounded
and questioned me about where I had just been. I refused to answer
questions and Police (using the draconian and irrelevant 'Misuse of
Drugs Act') publically body-searched me in vain.
During this public
harassment, a NAP supporter rode past on her pushbike and (to the
chagrin of Police) told me that I, "...was her hero."
After the search, myself
and the officers spoke about drug law reform. I mentioned that UK
Police were taking a softer approach. The Police commented that they
are glad they were not in the UK.
One of the Police
officers present then threatened me, stating that, "(I was)... lucky we
don't give you a flogging everytime we pick you up."
I find the police
attitude hypocritical. On the 12th of April, myself and three other NAP
activists handed ourselves into the NT Police. Despite giving police a
statutary declaration stating that we used cannabis, police did
nothing.
Undeterred by events, I
set off to a friend's home, where we shared a joint and discussed the
tactics of the ongoing NAP campaign.
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