29 August 2000
Youth vote not surprising - Tanczos
Green MP Nandor Tanczos said today he was not surprised that the Youth Parliament had voted against a
bill proposing instant fines for cannabis use at home.
"I would have had difficulty voting for the bill myself because it did almost nothing to address the
issues" said Mr Tanczos.
"Many of the Youth MPs said in the debate that the bill did not go far enough. They are right - it gave
the appearance of reform but actually would have achieved very little. I would say that a number of Youth MPs voted no
on that basis."
Mr Tanczos said the debate was of a high standard, and he congratulated the Youth MPs on their
thoughtful and articulate speeches.
"But I think it's also important to remember that Youth MPs are not elected by young people. They are
appointed by MPs and can not be said to represent the views of young people generally."
Nandor Tanzos MP: 04 470 6716 or 025 246 5235 Gina Dempster, Press secretary: 04 470 6723 or
021 1265 289