Simon Power Archive

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  Could this be the beginning of the end of the failed War on Drugs? - by frog

  
  
  
  Earlier this week, the Law Commission released its final report on Controlling and Regulating Drugs.  Green Co-Leader Metiria Tūrei issued a media release supporting the Commission’s report at the time, but I thought I’d provide a bit more information about it here. The report is a weighty tome – 350 pages, including 144 recommendations, so [...] read more
  May 6, 2011 12:28 pm - 36 Comments
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  Submit on the Alcohol Reform Bill - by frog

  
  
  
  Until Friday we have a unique opportunity to help change New Zealand’s heavy drinking culture. At the moment the Justice and Electoral Select Committee is taking submissions on the Alcohol Reform Bill. The Bill is a very very very small itsy bitsy step in the right direction, but it does not go anywhere near as [...] read more
  February 14, 2011 9:37 am - 4 Comments
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  Alcohol Bill is a weak drink - by frog

  
  
  
  Sue Kedgley just delivered the Green Party’s first reading speech about the Alcohol Reform Bill (ARB). The final bill glosses over a lot of the essential recommendations from the Law Commission’s report. It fails to address the main causes of alcohol related harm: price, saturation advertising and marketing, and decreasing the blood alcohol limit to [...] read more
  November 11, 2010 5:50 pm - 1 Comment
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  Establishing a Disability Commissioner - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Before I came to Parliament I thought making change happen was all about passing legislation and getting the numbers in the House. In many ways, that’s true, but sometimes it’s about even stranger twists of politics. Take the example of the member’s bill I placed in the ballot last year to establish a fulltime Disability [...] read more
  October 28, 2010 9:00 am - 4 Comments
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  Collecting for Women’s Refuge - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Another year and we still have to do street collections for Women’s Refuge. The epidemic of male violence continues in this so-called modern world. However big ups to Trina and the others in the Greens’ Parliamentary office who organised our team to collect on Lambton Quay all day in the freezing cold on Friday! I [...] read more
  July 27, 2010 1:46 pm - 27 Comments
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  An MMP moment in the House - by frog

  
  
  
  In a moment straight out of Hollywood and a demonstration of an MMP Parliament working as it should, the Minister walks into the Chamber with a handwritten amendment to the Bill… Minister Simon Power was persuaded by the debate in the House to amend the legislation under discussion. The right of the accused person to [...] read more
  July 2, 2010 4:32 pm - 4 Comments
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  Ignoring the evidence again on drug law reform - by frog

  
  
  
  In which Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne takes a head-in-the-sand approach to recommendations by the Ministry of Health’s Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs. read more
  March 16, 2010 11:26 am - 280 Comments
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  Public want spending caps - by frog

  
  
  
  Looks like the public agree that elections should be a battle of ideas not money. Check out this poll, last time I looked 83% of people voted for lobby groups having campaign spending caps.   Last week Metiria grilled Minister Power about caps in the House. read more
  February 25, 2010 12:19 pm - 3 Comments
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  Make a submission on drug law reform - by frog

  
  
  
  The Law Commission’s paper on drug law reform isn’t just a set of recommendations – it is a discussion document that sets out several options on each of a number of issues related to drugs and seeks feedback through submissions on those options. read more
  February 23, 2010 8:47 am - 7 Comments
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  An extraordinary blogroll consensus for drug law reform - by frog

  
  
  
  This is really quite remarkable. Since the Law Commission released its discussion paper on drug law reform yesterday, an extraordinary consensus across the political blogging spectrum has developed. read more
  February 12, 2010 10:03 pm - 29 Comments
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  Drug law reform: It’s not that simple, Simon - by frog

  
  
  
  The Greens support the harm minimisation approach to our drug laws proposed by the Law Commission. But Justice Minister Simon Power’s response to the Commission’s report on drug policy and legislation is to back the hypocrisy and stupidity of the current drug laws. read more
  February 12, 2010 12:48 pm - 38 Comments
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  A bizarre human rights appointment - by frog

  
  
  
  Brian Neeson has spent most of his political life espousing bigotry and opposing human rights. So why appoint him to the Human Rights Review Tribunal? This is a truly bizarre appointment. read more
  December 21, 2009 3:17 pm - 27 Comments