Drug hypocrite Iemma on thin ice
By Joe Hildebrand
March 15, 2007 12:00
Put the alliance on ice ... Premier Morris Iemma and Greens MP Lee Rhiannon, whose party advocates decriminalising all drugs. / The Daily Telegraph
PREMIER Morris Iemma is facing charges of hypocrisy after yesterday launching an all-out attack on the Greens' drugs policy - but still clinging to their crucial preferences.
He slammed the Greens as "absurd and disgusting" after The Daily Telegraph yesterday revealed their policy to decriminalise all drugs – including the exceedingly dangerous ice – for personal use.
But he said Labor would still happily do a preference deal with the minor party in almost every seat up for grabs at the state poll.
The move has even boosted the ALP's chances. The Liberals yesterday decided to pull preferences for the Greens over the drugs policy, effectively guaranteeing Labor the seats of Balmain and Marrickville.
Mr Iemma, on the campaign trail in Broken Hill, said such a drugs policy would never go ahead because fair-minded people would not support it – even though the ALP was supporting the party which put it forward.
He also accused the Greens of trying to score "a cheap bit of publicity" with the policy.
"It is just an absurd, ridiculous and disgusting policy," he said.
Mr Iemma said any MP supporting such a policy was "completely out of touch with reality".
"It's a ridiculous, ludicrous policy that nobody should have anything to do with," he said.
The drugs policy has alarmed the community, with a blog by Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon on The Daily Telegraph Online drawing a huge response - including an angry reply by Liberal leader Peter Debnam - yesterday.
There were also hundreds of comments on our original story and almost 3000 votes in an exclusive online poll.
Check out the blogs here and read the comments in the original story here. Have your own say today via the feedback form at the bottom of this story.
Almost three quarters of voters in the online poll declared the policy to be absurd, saying it would lead to social chaos.
But the majority also questioned Labor's decision to stick to a preferencing deal with the Greens in spite of its drug policy.
Mr Iemma said Labor had no qualms about exchanging preferences with such "absurd, ridiculous, disgusting and out of touch" MPs.
Labor has done a deal to preference the Greens in the Upper House, which could give the party an extra seat and delivering it the balance of power.
In exchange, the Greens have preferenced Labor in 24 Lower House seats, including vital marginal southern Sydney seats of Miranda and Menai where Labor faces hostile reception over the desalination plant.
The deal also extends to the Senate for the Federal election this year.
Despite the deal boosting the likelihood of extra Greens in both the state and federal Parliaments – where they are likely to hold the Upper House balance of power and push for such policies – Mr Iemma claimed there was no problem endorsing the minor party.
"There's no trade-off with preferences, we reject that totally," he said.
"We're not agreeing with the sweep of their policies."
It is even possible the Greens may become kingmakers in the Lower House in the event of a hung Parliament.
Peter Debnam accused Labor of putting putting politics ahead of people's lives.
"It's time for Morris Iemma and Labor to wake up and realise that protecting families from drugs is more important than securing preferences from the Greens," he said.
"Ice is a scourge on our society. It's killing young people, it's undermining a whole generation and yet you have the Greens Party proposing decriminalisation."
Late yesterday the Liberal Party announced it would not give the Greens any preferences in any seats.
In a repeat of the 2003 election gamble by John Brogden, Liberal state director Graham Jaeschke said the party could not be associated with the Greens because of their stance.
Christian Democratic Party leader the Reverend Fred Nile went even further, calling on all MPs to be subjected to random drug testing.
Greens MP Lee Rhiannon defended the policy, saying treating ice abuse and other drug problems as a health issue would prevent drug-related crime in the long run.