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Publications › LEAP Items › LEAP Speakers NZ Tour
LEAP Speakers NZ TourThe LEAP New Zealand Tour, 2004
With grateful thanks to the Coalition for Cannabis Law Reform (CCLR) and
The Mildgreens Party of New Zealand,
without whose help the tour would nat have been the great success it was.
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CCLR - MILDGREEN
LEAP TOUR REPORT
as at Wed 28th April 2004
send your images/links/photo's etc to complete the archive
now
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![Mildgreens.com](/images/amgi.JPG")
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LEAP on the cover of
NORML News (NZ)
Winter, 2004 issue
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Police Against Prohibition
Members of the international group Law Enforcement Against Prohibition recently toured New Zealand,
spreading the word about the perils of drug prohibition.
STEPHEN MCINTYRE reports on the tour and interviews former undercover cop Jack Cole.
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Hard on the heels of Clifford Thornton's visit here over the summer, in April three speakers from LEAP -- Law Enforcement Against Prohibition -- spent two weeks touring the country speaking to the media, the public, and to politicians from both sides of the House.
They were: Jack Cole, a Detective Lieutenant who spent 26 years with the New Jersey State Police; Eleanor Schockett, a former Judge from Miami; and Eddie Ellison, a Detective Chief Superintendent and the Operational Chief for three years of Scotland Yard's Drug Squad.
The LEAP tour was an unqualified success thanks to the calibre of the speakers as well as the sheer range and number of engagements they undertook.
Twenty different Rotary groups from Coromandel to Dunedin were addressed; public meetings were held in the Christchurch and Dunedin Community Law centers, Canterbury University, Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, Ponsonby Unitarian Church, Christchurch Media Club, and even prohibitionist Nick Smith's electorate office in Nelson. Even the Christian radio station Rhema broadcast interviews with them, while Eddie Ellison appeared on both The Breakfast Show and Havoc's Quality Time.
Both the Sunday-Star Times and The Listener ran pieces spelling out the aims of LEAP. After Eddie Ellison's talk at Fielding Rotary, the Manawatu Standard ran a strongly pro-reform editorial proclaiming his argument for legalisation "eminently reasonable" and stating that the prohibitionist side "fails to come to grips with the dynamics of supply and demand, just as it did in the US in the 1920s in relation to alcohol." Government officials also got to hear the facts from LEAP. Meetings were held with policy and crime prevention analysts from the Ministry of Justice; Damien O'Connor (Associate Minister of Health); Justice and Electoral Committee chair Tim Barnett; MPs Russell Fairbrother (Labour); Rodney Hyde (ACT); and Green MPs Nandor Tanczos, Rod Donald, Jeanette Fitzsimmons and Mike Ward. Most significantly perhaps LEAP founding member Jack Cole got to talk face to face with both Greg O'Connor from the Police Association (who, like Jack, is a former undercover cop) and New Zealand's own drug czar Jim Anderton.
Jack says the meeting went well: "When we first got there he said.' I've got another meeting to attend; I only have ten minutes to give you.' I said 'that's fine' and we started talking and ninety minutes later I said, 'You probably should get to your other meeting'. So he sat and he listened for an hour and a half, and so did his chief of staff. It was very promising".
The next visit from a LEAP speaker is being planned for sometime later in the year - possibly by Judge James Gray who presides over the civil trial calendar for the Superior Court of Orange County, an interview with whom can be found in the latest issue of Cannabis Culture magazine.
To learn more about LEAP, go to www.leap.cc
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NORML News: How's the reception been so far in New Zealand?
Jack Cole: Wonderful. We're reaching about eighty percent of our audience, regardless of how conservative they are, and sometimes we're getting one hundred percent of them onboard. I've had standing ovations from Rotaries by getting up in front of them and saying 'we have to legalise all drugs so we can regulate them, control them and keep them out of the hands of our children'.
How do you explain such a high success rate?
It mainly has to do with who the messenger is. LEAP members are all police officers, judges, prosecutors, corrections officers, probation and parole people. We have unassailable credibility in speaking out on ending this terrible war on drugs.
But your proposals sound so free and liberal. How do you convince the conservative element?
It only seems liberal and free when you let the drug warriors define what you mean by legalisation. When a drug warrior defines it they say, 'Those reformers want us to legalise drugs which means we should all go out and party', and of course that's not true at all. When we define legalisation we mean regulating and therefore controlling drugs. We know you cannot control or regulate anything that is illegal. Right now illegal drugs are in the hands of the criminal market and so criminals are in control. None of the good people have anything to do with it, so naturally we have the worst policy going.
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And the current law just helps create a powerful magnet for organised crime doesn't it?
The policy we have today is donating $400 billion a year to local gangsters, murderers and terrorists because that's how much is spent on illegal drugs all around the world.
The moment we ended alcohol prohibition in 1933 Al Capone was instantly out of a job - that ended everything for him. This is what we're talking about with legalising all drugs - let's put the organised criminals out of a job.
What do police say about drug legalisation?
I hear police officers saying, 'If you legalise drugs then I'll be out of a job,' and so I say, 'no you won't be out of a job'.
Every day the police say that they can't solve all these violent crimes because they're just too taxed and need more officers. The fact is under regulation they'd have more officers doing more of the jobs we'd want them to be doing.
What turned you around on this matter?
I spent 26 years in the state police and after three years of working undercover narcotics I realised that the sort of people I was working on weren't demons with horns growing out of their heads.
They were humans like the rest of us who chose to put stuff into their bodies that I didn't choose to put into mine, and because of that they were going to jail. That was a bit of an epiphany for me.
Do you see any chance of a let up in present US drug policy?
Eighteen months ago I was one of the most cynical and negative people around. When we started our speaker's bureau I wasn't sure how much good we could do and was thinking that at best we could convince ten percent of people about the rightness of our cause. After speaking now over two hundred to conservative groups I see we're actually convincing between eighty and a hundred percent of our audiences! It's gone far beyond my wildest hopes.
I've learned that the public are more than ready to end drug prohibition. I just have to tell them the truth about what's been going on.
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People say,'this is so logical, why haven't I heard it before? The answer to that is the drug warriors, having had the pulpit for thirty-four years, are lying through their teeth about what's going on. By talking about ending drug prohibition we mean a revolution that will change the face of the world.
The drug war reaches into every facet of life.
Convincing the general public's one thing. Surely politicians are another matter entirely?
Politicians never lead, they always follow. When they do decide to make a new law it's because they've come to the conclusion that they'll get more votes than they'll lose by making that law. As we tell the public the truth about the drug war and when the public know this and get really incensed then they start writing to their legislators and demanding change. When we start to put that kind of push on them then the legislators see that they're more likely to get back in office by changing the law than by keeping it the way it is. Their goal is always to stay in office. The first thing though is to understand that you can make a change.
Even a small country like New Zealand?
You could make a phenomenal difference! Your country has already made a big move by legalising sex-workers and it's just one step from there because the argument is exactly the same. New Zealanders have the sense to see the logic with one and so they'll see the logic with the other. Can you imagine what difference it would make if you were the first country in the world to legalise drugs? Everyone would be pointing at New Zealand and saying 'if they can do it, so can we.' You could have a major impact. No country has legalised drugs, although many want to.
What sort of things did you say to Jim Anderton?
Well we spoke for about an hour and a half. When I talk to those folks I try not to alienate anyone. I told him, as I tell everyone, that we came here to talk about drug policy reform. We're not saying that cops are the bad guys - after all I was a cop all those years! I'm here to say that the policy is bad and we need to change it. We're not trying to tell you how to do anything; what we're looking to do is get the policy on the table for discussion. But what I also said to Mr Anderton was that I'm here to give you a warning: don't keep following us down this path of prohibition because it's a path of destruction. It's a disaster.
Next Issue: Part 2 of this interview. You can also read an extended version on our (NORML NZ) website.
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| Addtionally: NORML's Autumn 2004 Edition was published
while the LEAP tour was in progress. It features an article written
by Stephen McIntyre titled
"The GREAT LEAP FORWARD" with an excellent summary of
Clifford Wallace Thornton's Efficacy Tour -- both can be viewed online at
http://www.norml.org.nz/article450.html
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The Tour began (events in chronological order)
On March 28, an article on a Jack Cole interview was published in 'The Sunday
Star-Times' (New Zealand national newspaper).
n Hutchison, NORML NZ Board member)
on April 3, 2004, a feature article written by Bruce Ansley on
Eleanor Schockett was published in The Listener (a national magazine).
(Blair)
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April
Vol 193 No 3334
Out
on the streets
by Bruce Ansley
feedback
to the editor
Growing violence and drug use will be the result of New Zealand's
tough new stance on illegal drugs, says a former American judge,
because this is exactly what happened when the US took the same
approach.
[snip]
 Schockett's
message on drugs will clash with New Zealand Government policy.
Far from being concerned about longer sentences and filling prisons,
Justice
Minister Phil Goff seems proud of it. Last month,
Goff announced that the government's tougher sentencing and parole
laws would see New Zealand's prison population rise by 20 percent
over the next seven years. Supported, he claimed, by public opinion,
four new prisons were under way to accommodate, among others,
more convictions resulting from a tougher drug stance. Police,
however, believe their war against drugs is working, citing only
a slight increase in drug offences, including P, last year. "Police
self-interest gets in the way of common sense," Schockett argues.
"They maintain the circular argument that drugs are bad therefore
illegal, but they fail to account for the harms resulting from
the enforcement of policy.
[snip] click
for full text [snip] also see Judge Eleanor Schocket tour
coverage by the USA based NOVEMBER COALITION in 'Dissenting Opinions'
a column by Judges Against the Drug War..
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April 2, FRIDAY...
9:30pm: Eddie Ellison arrives AUCKLAND, hires rental car.
April 4, SUNDAY...
9:00am: Jack Cole, Ellen Cantarow, and Eleanor
Schockett Arrive WELLINGTON
(noone met them at airport) (Accommodation courtesy Jane and Phil Saxby, NORMLNZ Secretary)
3:00pm: Blair Anderson (MildGreens) and Kevin O'Connell
(Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party and MildGreens) arrive WELLINGTON
from CHRISTCHURCH.
9:00pm: Eddie Ellison; (tentative arrival WGTN via
rental car from AUCKLAND)
(Accommodation courtesy Jane and Phil Saxby)
9:30pm: Eddie Ellison; Channel Z Auckland radio interview
via cellphone. This was fairly superficial and short, the interviewer is a
bit of a shock-jock. (Paula)
April 5, MONDAY...
... an article on Jack Cole published in The Press,
Christchurch newspaper.
(Blair)
... a notice of Eleanor's Wednesday public meeting included in "Community
Noticeboard" in the same paper. (Paula)
9:00am: Eddie Ellison; Dominion Post, Wellington, interview (so far
unpublished?) (Blair)
... Eleanor Schockett; NewstalkZB interview from Christchurch via cellphone
(Paula Lambert, Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, Treasurer/ NORML NZ
member)
6:00pm: (PHOTO) Eddie Ellison; Johnsonville Rotary, Wellington, Dinner
(Mike Smithson & Blair)
6:30pm" Jack Cole; Milson Rotary, Palmerston North, Dinner (Mike Smithson)
April 6, TUESDAY...
7:30am (PHOTO) Jack Cole, Eddie Ellison, Eleanor Schockett,
Ellen Cantarow; Parliamentary Breakfast,
Bellamys, Parliament Bldg., Wellington. Attended by Tim Barnett and
Russell Fairbrother -Labour Party MPs, and Rod Donald -Green Party MP
and Blair.. (Office of Tim Barnett, Labour Party MP)
... Eleanor Schockett; a 2nd & shorter NewstalkZB interview from Christchurch
via phone. (Paula)
9:00am: (PHOTO) Jack Cole, Ellen Cantarow, Eddie Ellison,
Eleanor Schockett; meet with Labour
Govt MP Tim Barnett, Chair of Justice at Electoral Committee.
11.45am: Eleanor Schockett; flies WELLINGTON-CHRISTCHURCH (Fare courtesy
Brandon Hutchison VISA card) (Accommodation courtesy Derek McCullough,
Unitarian Pastor, Christchurch)
2:00-4:00pm: Eleanor Schockett; Community Law Centre Meeting, Christchurch.
The attendance at the meeting was very disappointing, although Eleanor
was good. I have learned a few hard lessons on trying to set up a meeting
of this type. (Paula)
3:00pm: Jack Cole, Eddie Ellison; Appointment, Ministry of Justice Policy/Crime
Prevention policy analysts. Also attended by Blair Anderson and Kevin
O'Connell, but neither analysts nor wallflowers took notes! :)
6:00pm: Jack Cole, Eddie Ellison; Dinner at Bellamy's, hosted by MP's
Tanczos & Barnett. Eddie Allison introduced to ACT's Rodney Hyde.
7:30pm: Jack Cole, Eddie Ellison; Appointment, Damien O'Conner, Labour
Party MP & Assoc Minister Health. (Office of Tim Barnett, Govt MP)
7:30-9:00pm:
Eleanor Schockett; Womens' International League for Peace and Freedom,
Christchurch meeting and presentation on the Drug War. These rather
influential ladies were impressed by Eleanor, and admitted they had
not thought of the drug war before. (Irinka Britnell, ALCP)
April 7, WEDNESDAY...
9:15am: Jack Cole, Eddie Ellison; 'live' interview, RadioActiveFM,
Victoria University, Wellington. (Blair)
10:00am: (PHOTO) Jack Cole, Eddie Ellison Meeting with Greg O'Connor of Police
Association (Blair, & Kevin present)
12:00pm: Jack Cole; Rotary, Wellington South. Appointment. (Mike Smithson)
12:00pm: Eddie Ellison; Rotary Club of Lower Hutt. (Wellington) Lunch.
(Blair)
1:00-2:00pm: Eleanor Schockett; a 2nd Sunday Star-Times
newspaper interview. (so far unpublished) (Brandon Hutchison)
4:00-4:30pm: Jack Cole; 30 minute taped interview, PlainsFM, Christchurch
regional radio (Irinka)
4:30-5:00pm: Eleanor Schockett; 30 minute taped interview, PlainsFM,
Christchurch regional radio. (Irinka)
6:00pm: (PHOTO) Jack Cole and Ellen Cantarow; Appointment,
New Zealand Drug Czar Jim Anderton MP,
Assoc Minister of Health, Wellington. (Office of Tim Barnett, Govt MP)
7:30pm: Eddie Ellison; Rotary, Devonport/Milford/East Coast Bays/Takapuna
combined, Dinner (Auckland) (Mike Smithson and Blair)
7:30pm: Eleanor Schockett; Public Meeting, Mt Pleasant Community Centre,
Christchurch. Attendance 25+, incl psychiatrist head of Methadone Clinic,
a nurse, Green party member, several business people, several public
members pro and anti, Uni NORML executive members. Good audience participation
and lively discussion despite the cold temperature. (Paula)
April 8, THURSDAY...
... A notice in the Dunedin Star newspaper about LEAP talk on 16 April.
(Sandi)
1:30am: Jack Cole and Ellen Cantarow travel to South
Island via Cook Strait ferry (a tough day on the road, ALL the tour luggage plus
four people in a wee Honda)
10:00am (PHOTO) Jack Cole and Ellen Cantarow meet Dr David Hadorn
(Drug Policy Forum Trust),
Kaikoura, and observe "virtual" Medical Cannabis consultations
in practice.
11.45am: Eleanor Schockett; "Women on Air" 15 minute radio interview, PlainsFM,
Christchurch. (Paula)
1:00-3:00pm: Eleanor Schockett; Christchurch Community Law Centre, Healthy
Christchurch Meeting. Better attendance than at the first one. (Paula)
3:00pm: Eddie Ellison; NZ Herald newspaper interview,
reporter Louisa Cleave
(so far unpublished) (Chris Fowlie, NORML NZ, President)
...Jack Cole and Ellen Cantarow arrive CHRISTCHURCH (Accommodation courtesy
Koa Saxby)
4:00pm: Eddie Ellison; Mike Hosking, NewzTalkZB radio interview. This didn't
happen because although Eddie said his cellphone was switched on, they didn't get through
to him. (Chris F)
7:15pm - 12:00pm: Eddie Ellison; MENSA Auckland, Meeting. (Natalie)
April 9, GOOD FRIDAY...
April 10, SATURDAY...
...Eddie goes bush... hosted in the Rainforest by NORML executive member,
founder of the ALCP and co-owner of HEMPSTORE, Mike Finlayson.
April 11, EASTER SUNDAY...
April 12, MONDAY...
... NZ Listener magazine published containing good
LTE from Stephen McIntyre (NORML) responding to Eleanor Schockett article.
No adverse LTE's published.
(Blair's opinion on
Youth
uptake of cannabis and school drug testing appearing in Medical
News Today Online ) plus print media:
Police
Set for Driver Drug Tests
April 13, TUESDAY...
12:00pm: Eddie Ellison; Newmarket Rotary, Auckland, Lunch. (Mike Smithson).
4:00pm: Ellen Cantarow; presentation to Womens' International League
for Peace & Freedom, Christchurch. (Irinka)
6:00pm: cancelled: Jack Cole; Awapuni Rotary, Palmerston North, Dinner.
(I believe this is the first speaking engagement Jack Cole has ever had to cancel.
Sorry, Jack. )
 
6:30 pm: (PHOTOS) Eleanor Schockett; Rotary, Lincoln/Hornby combined,
Christchurch, Dinner. (Blair)
7:45pm: Jack Cole; Christchurch Media Club, Public Meeting. Attendence
25+ including one Community Board member. Jack did his powerpoint presentation
and made quite an impact on those people who had previously only been
concerned with cannabis law reform. (ALCP)
April 14, WEDNESDAY...
7:40am: Eleanor Schockett; 'live' Nelson radio interview via cellphone
to promote her Nelson meeting. (Brandon)
8:00am: Eddie Ellison; Radio 95bFM interview, Auckland. Went to air about
8.30am, for about 12 minutes, as part of Breakfast Show, hosts Matt Heath
and Chris Stapp. (Chris Fowlie & Blair)
8:15am: Eleanor Schockett flies to NELSON (courtesy Brandon Hutchison
VISA card)
9:00am: Jack Cole; interview taped, CTV (Cathedral TV), Canterbury regional
station. (Blair)
9:30am: Eleanor Schockett; Dunedin Star
newspaper interview via cellphone.
Published Thursday 15 April. (Sandi, Green Party, Dunedin)
10:00am: (PHOTO) Jack Cole, Roger Wright Centre,
"Exchange Outreach Service"
10:30am: (PHOTO) Jack Cole and Blair Anderson, CHCH POLICE
11:00am Jack Cole; University of Canterbury Meeting,
Sociology grads. Attended by
16 people, including Assoc Prof. Newbold and several masters and doctoral
students, and reps from prostitutes collective and needle exchange.
Several challenging questions. The students were or are doing projects
on such things as Ecstasy use in Chch, Devt of NZ cannabis policy, Intersection
of Health and crime worlds. (Brandon Hutchison, Steven Luke, Greg Fougere)
Jack Cole was, at lunch afterwards, tape-interviewed by Stephen McIntyre
for NORML magazine.
12:00pm: Eleanor Schockett; Public Meeting, Nelson, at National Party
(a known prohibitionist) MP Nick Smith's electorate office. Nelson Mail
reporter present, and meeting was recorded by radio FreshFM with a view
to broadcasting at later date. (hosted by HealthAction, Nelson)
5:30pm: Jack Cole; CTV interview broadcast in Canterbury that was taped
earlier that morning. (Blair)
6:15pm: Eddie Ellison; Rotary Somerville/Howick, Dinner. (Mike Smithson,
Natalie and Blair)
April 15, THURSDAY...
... Nelson Mail newspaper reports on Eleanor's meeting the previous day.
"Judge
Makes Case for Legalising All Drugs"
&
Judge Makes Case for Legalising All Drugs by Bridget Cull, (15 Apr
2004)
9:30am: Scoop Archive:
Public Meeting:Law Enforcement Against Prohibition ... Law Enforcement
Against Prohibition presents a public meeting in Auckland this Thursday
evening with ...
10:00am: Eddie Ellison; Interview Coromandel FM 15 min (Blair)
1:00 - 2:00pm: (PHOTOS) Eddie Ellison; TV3 Havoc on Quality Time
interview taped. (Chris Fowlie + Blair)
5:45pm: Jack Cole; Rangiora/Kaiapoi/Belfast/Papanui Rotary
combined, Dinner. 60+ members attended, Jack only given 30 minutes to
give his presentation. Neutral questions afterwards, but also some positive
feedback. (Mike Smithson and Blair)
7:30pm: (PHOTO) Eddie Ellison; Public Meeting,
Ponsonby Unitarian Church, 6 Ponsonby
Rd, AUCKLAND. (Jake Morrison, Auckland Unitarians, NORML and Blair)
This Unitarian Church event filmed by Green Party for distribution &
reference (Sandi, Green Party, Dunedin)
April 16, FRIDAY,,,
5:00am: Eleanor Schockett departs for MELBOURNE from CHRISTCHURCH
7:15am: (PHOTOS) Eddie Ellison; Rotary, Ellerslie/Sunrise,
Auckland, Breakfast
(Mike Smithson and Blair)
10:30am: Eddie Ellison; taped
interview, ;Straight Talk with Stephen Tetly, Radio Rhema, a
national Christian radio station, (aired Tuesday 20 Apr) (Blair)
11:15am: Eddie Ellison; interview
by Rob Holding, for 'the home run', a Christian network broadcast
(Blair)
11:45am: Jack Cole was interviewed for Critic (Otago
University Student Magazine) and Radio One (Otago University Radio Station. Transcripts of the interviews are available.
1:30pm: Jack Cole; Hills Radio, intensive 1 hr interview by Marvin Hubbard,
taped for playback Tuesday 27 April. (Sandi, Green Party, Dunedin)
3:00-5:00pm: Jack Cole; Dunedin Community Law Centre, Public Meeting*
Otago Daily Times newspaper reporter present who also interviewed
Sandi, to be published at unknown date. *for digital pix of this event
contact Sandi. Sandi also writing article for Green Times, Green Party
internal magazine. (Sandi, Green Party, Dunedin)
3:30pm: Ellen Cantarow; Hills Radio, intensive 1 hr interview by Marvin
Hubbard, taped for playback unknown time. (Sandi, Green Party, Dunedin)
3:30pm: (PHOTO) Eddie Ellison meets GREEN Party co-leader,
Jeanette Fitzimmonds at her Thames "organic farm" where even the
sheep have tails.
4:30pm: (PHOTO) Eddie Ellison 'live' on Coromandel FM.
5:45pm: Jack Cole; TV interview, Channel 9, Dunedin local (Sandi, Green
Party, Dunedin)
6:30pm; Jack Cole and Ellen Cantarow; Dinner (Sandi, and Mike Ward MP,
Green Party, Dunedin)
7:30pm: Eddie Ellison; Coromandel Lions' Club Meeting, postered all
over town and attended by 20 very interested local citizens, some very
conservative but challenged and others "somewhat convinced"
having attended a recent "P" workshop hosted by the NZ Police
(on April 1st). (Blair)
10:00pm: Jack Cole; interview, Cow TV show, Channel 9, Dunedin. Presenter
saw Jack on Channel 9 News and asked him to come back for Cow TV later
that evening.
April 17, SATURDAY...
10:00am: Eddie Ellison; Whitianga FM radio interview (Blair)
... Age 13
and She's Hooked on P by Kim
Thomas, Bay of Plenty Times (17 Apr 2004) was cited by Eddie in later Tauranga
public meeting.
... Jack Cole and Ellen Cantarow; all day sightseeing around Dunedin with
Marvin Hubbard.
... Jack Cole and Ellen Cantarow depart for MELBOURNE from DUNEDIN
April 18, SUNDAY...
... Jack Cole; CTV interview taped Wednesday 14th broadcast
in Dunedin.
April 19, MONDAY...
... another good letter published in latest Listener
magazine re article about Eleanor (Matthew Molloy of Wellington).
8:00am: Eddie Ellison, 5 minute interview on national TV1
Breakfast show, Auckland (Chris Fowlie & Blair)
8:00am: (PHOTOS) Eddie Ellison, 5 minute interview on national TV1
Breakfast show, Auckland (Chris Fowlie & Blair)
10:30-11:30am: (PHOTO Right) Eddie Ellison Interview
for Plains, community newpaper, Ngatia (Blair)
11:30am: Nga Iwi FM Interview for Community Radio Paeroa/Waihi (Blair)
1:00pm: NewztalkZB Tauranga (Blair and Julie)
3:00pm: Bay of Plenty newspaper interview (Blair and Julie)
4:00pm: Eddie Ellison; meeting, Bay of Plenty Polytechnic. (Blair)
April 20 TUESDAY...
10:00am: (PHOTO) Eddie Ellison; excellent interview taped Friday 16th broadcast
today on Radio Rhema national Christian station. Re-broadcast at
9:00pm. Stephen Tetley- Jones' Straight Talk programme. (Blair)
6:30pm Eddie Ellison; Rotary, Makino, Feilding, Dinner. (Mike Smithson
and Blair)
April 21, WEDNESDAY...
... An article on the Stuff website, entitled "All Drugs Should be Legalized
-- Detective", fairly reports Eddie Ellison's views wihout offering adverse opinions.
(The article is no longer available at Stuff, but was also
reported on a Cannabis Culture Blog
6:00am: Eddie Ellison departs WELLINGTON for MELBOURNE
April 22, THURSDAY...
... (PHOTO) A Manawatu Standard editorial (Link no longer available),
entitled "Tackling the problem of drugs ", appeared reporting on the Fielding
Rotary meeting on Tuesday:
" It was, on the face of it, an unlikely place for
the argument—a Rotary
Club meeting in Feilding—but Eddie Ellison, the one-time drugs squad
boss and Scotland Yard chief superintendent, put the case for making
all drugs legal with considerable panache. Comments
by former Scotland Yard drug squad boss Eddie Ellison met with almost
universal condemnation yesterday." The editorial quotes three stakeholders;
PN CIB boss, a District Health Board Public Health expert, and PN Drug
Arm boss.
...Radio Pacific (national) Michael Laws' talkback today deals with 'the P
epidemic' and in the process panned Eddie Ellison for advocating drug
legalisation. One pro-reform caller supporting Eddie managed to get
through.
Source: Otago Daily Times (New Zealand) Copyright:
2004 Allied Press Limited Contact: odt.editor@alliedpress.co.nz
Website: http://www.stuff.co.nz/otago
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/925
Author: Duncan Eddy Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n618/a03.html
Letter to the Editor / Otago Daily Times Wed,
12 May 2004
PROHIBITION DUNEDIN drug squad head Kevin Anderson opposes the
use of mind-altering substances because he has seen the harm they
can do ( ODT , 22.4.04). However, there is a big difference between
opposing drug use and opposing drug law reform. There's no doubt
that Mr Anderson has seen the negative sides of drugs. So he must
be frustrated that attempts to control drug abuse via criminal
sanctions haven't prevented a massive rise in the use of drugs
and drug-related harm in New Zealand over the past two decades.
Prohibition prevents the effective delivery of drug treatment
and education and separates drug users from family and community.
Prohibition, in my humble opinion, causes much more damage than
it prevents.
Duncan Eddy, Wellington
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Eddie Ellison, is
a regular contributor to UKCultivator.biz
MayDay JayDay - from Christchurch Press, May4th. Blair Anderson speaks about LEAP
Tour— Irinka Britnell on T-Shirt duty.
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