Press Release
Stephen Berry
Berry Says Keep Freedom Legal!
Tamaki Independent candidate Stephen Berry calls upon MP’s to vote against a ban on synthetic cannabis this Thursday.
“It is another nail in the coffin of our liberty. John Key is seduced by the poisonous lure of populism ahead of
November’s elections, at the expense of individual freedom.”
“This Government, like most, is using the issue of safety as their justification for robbing individuals of the choice
to think for themselves. Unfortunately a gullible public laps it up, beseeching the state to apply their handcuffs in
order to prevent others making choices they themselves disapprove of.”
The proposed ban will remain in effect for twelve months, giving the Government time to apply the findings of the Law
Commission on the Misuse of Drugs Act. Berry remains sceptical. “When Governments restrict our liberties they often do
it for a supposedly temporary period until a threat, real or imagined, has passed. However their track records show that
temporary is a mere bluff. The United States is still yet to repeal its temporary Patriot Act and modern history is
littered with dictators who have failed to relinquish their temporary emergency powers.”
One the recommendations made by the Law Commission is that manufacturers of intoxicating substances must prove their
product is safe before it is allowed on the market. The Tamaki candidate is opposed to what he considers to be an
impossible measure.
“I cannot think of a single intoxicant that would not have some sort of harm upon the user. Legal highs such as alcohol
and tobacco would certainly fail to pass such a legal standard. It is not possible to prove a product is safe, even if
it is safe, because it is not possible to prove the absence of harm. Such an attempt would be as futile as proving the
non-existence of God, the safety of genetic engineering or your innocence in a court of law.”
Mr. Berry also argues that even if a substance is found to be harmful, that harm should be irrelevant to its legal
status. “This is an issue of individual freedom. It is your body; you decide what does and doesn’t go into it. The state
is dealing a serious transgression by legislating what individuals can and cannot consume.”
Stephen says that this vote is a serious measure of where politicians stand on the ideas of liberty and believes it
should be a true litmus test for which politician deserves voter support.
“I can absolutely, categorically say that if I am elected to Parliament in November I will never vote to ban any drugs
and will actively fight for the legalisation of currently prohibited substances. Tamaki voters can be pretty sure Allan
Peachy, their National MP, will take the road of fascist populism in voting for a ban.”
“I wonder where ACT Tamaki candidate John Boscawen’s vote will go. Will he remain true to the ideals of individual
liberty that ACT claims to possess or will he continue down the dirty road to fascism that he started on when he voted
for more restrictions on tobacco?”
ENDS