Bluelight and the Upcoming South Australian Elections

[getyourselfhigh200]

I thought it would be a good idea to have a topic for SA bluelighters to discuss the upcoming election on March 20th with regards to drug laws, internet, freedom of information etc so that people can make a more informed choice when they go to the polls. Since this is the drug discussion section please keep to discussion about drug and internet laws and if people want to debate other issues then open a topic in the social forum.

Its pretty fair to say that Labor has been pretty absolutely woeful with regards to these issues. Banning bongs, cracking down on hydro shops, draconian police laws and introducing net censorship legislation. The liberals aren't much better and considering what has happened in WA with the liberals increasing penalties for cannabis posession and other strict measures its safe to say that they would probably be worse than Labor for us "druggies".

Family first are blantantly anti drugs so that pretty much leaves the greens.

I had a look at the greens website and it states that they support making cannabis available as pain treatment but do not support making other drugs legal but More importantly though they support harm minimisation approaches, are against criminal sentences for personal drug use and possession, make more safe injecting rooms available and so on.

I don't have time to look up any of the other minor parties so if there is a minor partie or independant who has good policies on drugs then post away.

 

[marley]

I work in the Coal Industry, and I think a lot of the Green catch cries are misinformed and somewhat ill advised - Carbon emission reduction is very important, but they it must be approached in a sensible, and sustainable manner!

I don't think drugs should EVER be made legal - they are far too dangerous, and there are far to many idiots out there. That said, my vote would go to a government that supports harm reduction and has a realistic approach to posession and personal use!

 

[moderateuser]

In contradiction to popular belief and the anti-Greens campaigns mounted by several other parties in the past (I'm sure we all remember the FFP's adds "The greens want to sell your 10yr old kid weed") The Greens do not actually have a soft on drugs policy.

HOWEVER, their policies usually seem to be based on valid research rather than popular opinion and "common sense". For this reason I favour them. As a minor party they are also a hope to break up the cartel-like monopoly of the two major contenders, who are both so well embedded in the system that they have no problems with making legislation that is simply for the benefit of their own party institutions (such as using tax payers money to fund their own electoral campaigns, in addition to the money they get from private donations.)

@Marley, while some are bound to dissagree with the Carbon reducing methods the Greens propose to employ, their carbon reduction targets seem to be the only ones that are based on what the science says is necessary to avert catastophe. Its a very thorny issue, living in an environmentally sustainable way is certainly a right thing to do, maintaining industries that many depend on for employment and all of us depend on for our modern lifestyle is another right thing ..

It seems we have a case of mutually exclusive and conflicting right things,

 

[getyourselfhigh200]

Cheers for the input guys, although I (and the mods i'm sure) want this to topic to stick to drug policy and upcoming election.

I can't remember the name of it but is that hemp party still around? I remember at the big day out about 8 years ago they had a stall and were giving out stickers but haven't really heard much about them for ages.

 

[8L4YN3]

I work in the Coal Industry, and I think a lot of the Green catch cries are misinformed and somewhat ill advised - Carbon emission reduction is very important, but they it must be approached in a sensible, and sustainable manner!

I don't think drugs should EVER be made legal - they are far too dangerous, and there are far to many idiots out there. That said, my vote would go to a government that supports harm reduction and has a realistic approach to posession and personal use!

Do you beleive all drugs should be illegal? Unregulated, with all the profits going untaxed into the black market. Making it much easier for teenagers not yet 18 to get their hands on them.

Or a world where people have accepted the inevitability of drug use, and the fact 60+ years of trying to stamp it out have failed miserably, at a huge cost to us, and we regulate and make revenue off these drugs that are only being consumed anyway.

Instead with this new way, the black market is reduced, profits go back into the community(employment and taxes), the drugs are safely regulated and not as easily attainable by youngstas, and people who're just users who still go to work everyday like every other person isnt sent to prison for a so called crime, at further cost to us.

 

[Greenbeans]

I don't think drugs should EVER be made legal - they are far too dangerous, and there are far to many idiots out there.

Yeah, because the idiots can't get them now...

What if the idiots had to buy them at a store, which provided properly measured doses and safety pamphlets distributed with each purchase? It would help.

There will ALWAYS be idiots, punishing the non-idiots does nothing to prevent this.

 

[Divine Moments]

I'm generally pretty busy and apathetic. Does anyone know a good place/s to find out the parties' main points? I've never actually voted before, and don't really want to without being at least a little informed.