Vote 1 Stuart Highway
for
Lord Mayor of
Darwin!
Drug Prohibition,
Racism, and
US Troops in the Northern
TerritoryScroll down for Campaign index
|
Drug Prohibition, Racism, and
US Troops in the Northern
TerritoryScroll down for Campaign index |
|
Why NAP are standing in the 2004 Darwin City
Council Elections
By Gary Meyerhoff 8th May 2004 The Network Against Prohibition (NAP) are using the City of Darwin local government elections as part of our ongoing campaign against human rights abuses in the Northern Territory. NAP formed in March 2002 as a response to the NT Governments drug house legislation and the increasing attacks on the human rights of drug users. The formation occurred as an end result of two campaigns for human rights in the Northern Territory, the struggle for the human rights of illicit drug users and the struggle for the human rights of indigenous people. These two campaigns had become intertwined during the past decade, in fact, they are always intertwined. Prior to 2002, some NAP members had been involved in the campaign against mandatory sentencing for property offences. This campaign became a starting point for another important campaign. 2001 heralded the Public Order and Anti-Social Conduct Act, one of the last acts of the CLP. This Act allowed NT police to define behavior as anti-social, and order people to cease that behavior, with a 2-year jail penalty if they persisted. It also allowed them to declare a house an 'anti-social' house, which could be sign-posted as such and could be raided without a warrant at any time. This bill was aimed at two particular target groups, the long-grass community, and those suspected of ‘dealing’ drugs. The NT community mobilised against this injustice, forming a network of groups including Darwin Community Legal Service, the North Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service, Territory Users Forum, the Socialist Alliance, People Against Racism in Aboriginal Homelands, the Longgrass Association and the Greens. Two well-attended rallies (more than 200 people at each) were held outside the NT Parliament house. When the legislation was debated, a number of activists, including the author, were forcibly removed from the public gallery of the NT Parliament as we held placards aloft. In contrast to the parliament invasion incident, the CLP government didn’t charge us. This is despite our technically being guilty of deliberately disturbing the legislative assembly, whilst it was in session. The only support from Labor at the time was embarrassing and shameful. Then Deputy-Opposition leader Syd Stirling tried to amend the bill, arguing that it wasn’t harsh enough on illicit drug users. Sure enough, when Labor was elected, they pandered to the lefties and repealed the Public Order Act, and replaced it with the Drug House legislation. Slightly watered down but still the same. They did the same with mandatory sentencing. Removed mandatory sentencing for property offences, and increased the maximum penalties at the same time. So now, you won’t get 14 days, but your chances of getting 14 years are looking up. Labor also decided to maintain the mandatory sentence for any second or subsequent drug offence. That gets you a minimum 28 days. NAP and other groups issued statements before the ‘drug house’ bill was given assent, saying that the bill would in effect target indigenous people, young people, people from non-english speaking backgrounds and members of the non-heterosexual community. We said this because at the time the new Labor Government had brought up a heap of staffers from NSW, and were copying NSW legislation and making it even harsher. They mastered the zero tolerance approach being taken in NSW, where government drug policy is used by police to target the indigenous community in Redfern, the Vietnamese community in Cabramatta and those people who are deemed non-heterosexual and populate nightclubs in Oxford Street. In the NT, the first victim of the NT drug house legislation was the 55-year old indigenous grandmother, Margot Laughton, currently on remand in Berrimah prison. While attacking the human rights of drug users, Labor launched a wave of attacks on the indigenous and long-grass communities, first, decreeing that indigenous people shouldn’t smoke cannabis because they can’t handle it. Remote indigenous communities continue to be targeted by sniffer dog teams, and of course, more and more indigenous people are incarcerated. The indigenous incarceration rate in the Northern Territory is now at 86%, the highest level ever under self-government. Secondly, Labor started a program aimed at rounding up indigenous refugees from remote communities and forcibly sending them home. Labor increased the hours of the ‘night patrol’ and ensured that Mission Australia control the program rather than allow community control. Mission Australia are hiring people with security licenses and dark coloured skin to arrest indigenous people at all hours of the day and night and transport them in a cage to the ‘Spin Dry’ or the watch-house, where they are detained, and they have no rights. Now they want to make petrol sniffing a crime. The war on drug users in the NT is a class war and a race war. Drug laws are just another tool the NT Police are using to further harass and intimidate young people, indigenous people and those of us who live below the poverty line. The human rights of indigenous people go hand in hand with the human rights of illicit drug users. We are all human beings, we are all struggling to attain our full human rights. No, members of NAP don’t think that we can actually achieve change through Australia’s façade of a democracy, and definitely not by being elected to the Darwin City Council, although it may give us some more airtime to get our message out: End the racist war on drug users! We are using the election campaign to raise awareness of some of the major issues we face in the Northern Territory. This includes the fact that all of the NAP people standing in the election are currently out on appeals bail while they wait for their June hearing over the 2002 parliament invasion. Stuart, Rob and the author are all facing between 18 and 21 months jail (suspended after 5 months). *As a footnote – no homes were declared ‘anti-social’ by NT Police under the CLP government. Two homes have been declared ‘drug houses’ under Labor. The occupants of both homes have been evicted. One woman, Margo Laughton is on remand in Berrimah prison. |
| Friday 30th April 2004 MEDIA RESPONSE from DRUG FREE AUSTRALIA Regarding Darwin Pro-Drug Mayoral Candidate Responding to the outrageous claims and tactics by the pro-drug Mayoral candidate for Darwin, Michael Robinson, Executive Director of Drug Free Australia today responded by calling on the local and federal law enforcement authorities to do everything in their powers to enforce the law. “I will be writing letters to the relevant authorities immediately to ensure this disgraceful disregard for the law is acted upon, and every breach of the law is pursued.” “The pro-drug team of candidates are stating that they are intending to campaign by breaking Federal drug laws, to hold official offices to promote breaking of the Federal Drug laws, it is outrageous.” “We hope that the people of Darwin reject these nonsense claims and outrageous tactics, and vote for candidates who intend to work to reduce and prevent drug abuse, not to promote it. That’s important at every level of government, local, state, territory and especially in the up and coming federal election.” “It is also most unfortunate that the NAP team campaign messages continue to refer to drug use as recreational fun. Illicit drug use should never be called recreation, it is dangerous and that’s why it has been made illegal, to protect the community from this nonsense. Law enforcement is an important part in the overall campaign to ensure the community is given that protection.” Michael D. Robinson 0414 719 742 Executive Director Drug Free Australia Ltd. Email: info@drugfreeaustralia.org.au - or - drugfree@optusnet.com.au Website : http://www.drugfreeaustralia.org.au |
| Wednesday 5th May 2004 MEDIA
RELEASE
CANDIDATE ON SHAKY GROUND CLAIMING THE HIGH GROUND "Darwin's pro-drug Mayoral
candidate should exercise more care and concern for those in his
community" according to Drug Free Australia's Executive Director
Michael Robinson.
Responding to Darwin's pro-drug candidate Stuart Highway's recent campaign moves, Mr Robinson said today in a media release; "Illicit drugs are dangerous, that's why they are prohibited. It is irresponsible for anyone to be promoting drug use for their personal, political or financial gain." "In a democratic society everyone has a right to express their view, its just unfortunate some people use that opportunity to talk about dangerous activities in such a reckless manner." "We urge the authorities to do everything possible to ensure the law is upheld, and to ensure drug use is prevented and not promoted. Saturday's Smoke in should of course not go ahead." "Of course the dangers of drug use that are well documented. Simply using many illicit drugs is a dangerous activity, its irresponsible and reckless to suggest otherwise." Michael D. Robinson Executive Director Drug Free Australia Ltd. Email: info@drugfreeaustralia.org.au - or - drugfree@optusnet.com.au Website : http://www.drugfreeaustralia.org.au |
|
Drug
Free Australia supports drug use prevention at all levels of government.
The police and other law
enforcement agencies of the Northern Territory are to be congratulated,
according to Drug Free Australias Executive Director Michael D.
Robinson,"for their continued application of the law to protect the
public from the misguided promotion of drug abuse."
"It is unfortunate that the Darwin local government elections have become the target of a small handful of disruptive radical activists intent on taking up so much time and resources of both the police and the courts. "Nevertheless it is important that the law be consistently applied for the prevention of drug use and protection of the community." "On the face of it, anywhere we see a disruptive radical group of people campaigning for public office, on the basis of breaking the law, I'd encourage the authorities to take all possible actions to ensure that law is enforced." "I think most people in Darwin and across Australia would be more likely to support a long jail sentence for disruptive people who have demonstrated their intent to go out of their way to break the law or to promote drug abuse." Michael D. Robinson 0414 719 742 Executive Director Drug Free Australia Ltd. Email: info@drugfreeaustralia.org.au - or - drugfree@optusnet.com.au Website : http://www.drugfreeaustralia.org.au |
|
By staff writers May 13, 2004 A DARWIN mayoral candidate has called for drugs to be legalised to turn the city into "Australia's Amsterdam". Stuart Highway, from the controversial lobby group Network Against Prohibition, said drug tourism would attract thousands of tourists from around the world. Mr Highway is one of seven candidates vying for the top job in the Darwin City Council elections on May 29. "If elected I will use my position as lord mayor to accelerate the Network Against Prohibition campaign for the re-legalisation of all drugs," Mr Highway said. "Once this process is complete, it is hoped that Darwin will become Australia's Amsterdam. "Drug tourism will attract thousands of tourists from around the globe. "Cannabis would be sold from local cafes and other drugs would be available from licensed sellers. "Darwin's nightlife and dance party scene would expand rapidly." NT Attorney General and Health Minister Peter Toyne rejected the idea. "Drugs are a leading cause of health and crime problems in the NT," a spokesman for Dr Toyne said. "It would be irresponsible for any government to promote their use." AAP From: http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9551094%255E26462,00.html |
|
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 Click here to email the NAP campaign team now back to top |
|
**Join Stuart Highway
and the NAP team** at
our V for Victory party
this Saturday 6pm 2 Stretton Street, Parap BYO Chemicals and Tucker back to top |
|
Stay tuned -
more to come!!! back to top |
|
|
