Howard hard line on marijuana

[Pa-uul]

(photo Chris Lane, Sydney Morning Herald)

Iemma, Howard and Bracks discuss toughening cannabis prohibition

10 February 2006:

PRIME Minister John Howard will ask the state premiers to support a tougher line on marijuana as part of a mental health reform package to be discussed at the Council of Australian Government (COAG) meeting in Canberra today.

 

Mr Howard said the stance was necessary amid mounting evidence that marijuana abuse contributed to mental health problems.

 

"I will ask them (the state premiers) to agree with me that part of the solution to the mental health problem is a tougher line on marijuana, and I imagine they will agree with me," he said.

 

He said he supported the NSW legislation to increase the penalties for growing hydroponic marijuana, which is stronger.

 

"I welcome the change in direction of many of the states," he said.

 

"It was only a few years ago ... that the stance I had on marijuana was branded as unfashionable and out of touch by many people in state politics on both sides ...

 

"There has been a big turn around of opinion."

"We all have a responsibility. Law enforcement is part of it, having better rehabilitation is part of it, and better education."

 

Mr Howard said many Australians had been successfully persuaded not to smoke tobacco in the past 30 years, and "we ought to be able to do the same with marijuana".

 

"But it means that people in a position of influence and leadership have to see marijuana as as great, if not a greater, menace than tobacco consumption.

 

"Some of those same people who think it's virtually a crime to smoke a cigarette, think that somehow or other it's clever to go the opposite direction on marijuana. It's not."

 

But Mr Howard said his primary aim at the meeting was to secure the states' commitment to increased funding.

 

"My starting point is it's a big problem," he said.

 

"We are going to give it a much greater emphasis than is (currently) the case.

 

"What I would like out of today's meeting on mental health is an agreement from both levels of government that each of us will put more money in."

 

He did not advocate a return to institutionalisation, "but there needs to be something in between where people are not left without support," Mr Howard said.

 

"They lose the encouragement and incentive to take medication and they are generally left unsupported in the community," he said.

 

"Each (tier of government) has got responsibility here."

Author: AAP

Date: 10 February 2006

Source: Howard hard line on marijuana, news.com.au

Copyright: Yes

 

 

Howard must be close to retirement so, why do this now? NSW Premier Morris Iemma has been preparing for the Howard anti-cannabis coming out party for a week by increasing penalties on hydroponic cannabis because it "is stronger", (news.com.au).

Iemma: cutting cannabis users rights

 

Victorian Premier Steve Bracks was enthusiastic according to The Age.

Mr Howard, supported by Victorian Premier Steve Bracks, made drug use a focus for discussion.

URL

 

http://johnbatchelorshow.com/admin/allsource/exampleimages/John%20Howard%20Happy.jpg

I laugh at suggestions that people should have a free choice

 

Give me a swig of that; my drug is a-OK!

(Photos (Howard), (Iemma), (Wine) copyright. Captions my own.)

Edited February 13, 2006 by Pa-uul

[WantDaChronic]

Mr Howard said many Australians had been successfully persuaded not to smoke tobacco in the past 30 years, and "we ought to be able to do the same with marijuana".

 

"But it means that people in a position of influence and leadership have to see marijuana as as great, if not a greater, menace than tobacco consumption.

 

howard must not be aware that alcohol and tobacco have caused death whereas cannabis has not hell he is carrying on about how they have to make cannabis appear more dangerous than tobacco, but where is the proof and why in the fuck should we listen to a politician preaching the evils of drugs when he is happily drinking and signing bottles of booze? fucking hypocrit cock sucker

[naturalmystic]

You know the problem is these guys need cones , howard especailly , i still cant belive the bastard got in .

[Aquaponix]

spot the alcoholic behind him in the signing photo.

 

who's that pompous twat?

[SukonmiSkunk]

A Current Affair last night said..and this is coming from the drug and alcohol dept....that binge drinking is the worst..and casues more problems than all the illicit drugs put together...

 

heres the article.....I didnt want to paste the whole thing..so ya have ta click the link

 

http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/stories/2032.asp

 

probably could even strat a new thread with this article....

 

just looking at that pic...with the pompas fuck in it...all red cheeked..definately drunk.....how the fuck is it that these wankers are aloud to consume alcohol at work, when the rest of country gets sacked for that sort of thing

fucking scum...I know I wont be voting this fuck wit back in...

 

NaturalMystic...I dont know how he got in either..if you remeber back that far I think you would notice that the every state voted in the labour party...but mysteriously howard (liberal) gets the Primeministership....how could that happen...the same fucking way BUSH got in thats how....corrupt election.....

 

whats worse is how the hell he has managed to stay in.....

Edited February 13, 2006 by SukonmiSkunk

[dsyfer]

NaturalMystic...I dont know how he got in either..if you remeber back that far I think you would notice that the every state voted in the labour party...but mysteriously howard (liberal) gets the Primeministership....how could that happen...the same fucking way BUSH got in thats how....corrupt election.....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He got in because the other guys couldn't find a bloody good leader, that is all that is

stopping them, Howard WILL get in again if they don't find someone people can trust.

[WantDaChronic]

He got in because the other guys couldn't find a bloody good leader, that is all that is

stopping them, Howard WILL get in again if they don't find someone people can trust.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

i'd rather a cow as our nation's leader over howard any day of the week

[nugget]

i'd rather a cow as our nation's leader over howard any day of the week 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Na, She's selling real estate now :whistling

 

But i do agree, howard is a fuckwit and would like to see someone just a bit more competent be elected

Edited February 13, 2006 by nugget23

[Tom]

The Liberal Party consistently loses to Labor, it's the coalition with the Nationals that keeps getting them across the line, WA now has a Labor "leader" that is sucking up to Howard the way he does to Bush so I am expecting the mj laws here to take a turn for the worst soon too.

 

Howard’s "hard line" on mj can go nowhere without either cooperation from the states or a change in the constitution, cooperation from the states is his best bet I reckon and it seems he may be about to get it. The way I see it the Greens are the only party on our side that fields candidates in every state, if they can get into a balance of power in most states then Howard wouldn't stand a chance.

 

[naturalmystic]

Yeh i thought beasely was ok , the trouble to me seemed to be that liberals had more money to put into there commercials and were better with the propagandic cheap shots , like yeh vote for someone you can trust etc , lots of trusting souls out there . BUt yeh some kinda corruption must of went on . Bushses corruption is so blatently obvious its sickening how he got in , make all the black people votes invalid in florida , because of a hole puncuturing error on the ballot card . That guy is evilly corrupt . I cant wait for peter garret to become primeminister , some redkneck will assinate him though hes too good. Edited February 14, 2006 by naturalmystic