Potty LNP website makes wacky drug claim

[freddie]

Potty LNP website makes wacky drug claim

Gabrielle Dunlevy | August 12, 2008 - 2:05PM

 

Queensland's new conservative party will investigate a website set up in its name that discusses legalising marijuana as possible policy.

 

The website, liberalnationalparty.org, claims it is the Liberal National Party of Queensland's discussion forum, and has a photo of leader Lawrence Springborg and deputy leader Mark McArdle, taken on the day the party was formed.

 

Topics up for discussion include Invasion Myths - on the subject of whether Japan planned to invade Australia in 1942.

 

In an area headed LNP Policies, there is a discussion about legalising marijuana, in which website administrator and creator Wayne Smith writes: "All drugs should be legalised in my opinion.

 

"Drug use should be treated in the same way as alcohol and nicoteine (sic) which are both deadly drugs sold on shopping shelves and taxed to the hilt by every government," he writes.

 

Records show Mr Smith, of Dalby in southern Queensland, registered the domain name on July 30.

 

His recorded telephone number is not connected.

 

Mr Springborg only learned of the website today, and said he would alert party organisation.

 

"The worldwide web is an interesting beast and it provides great opportunity for information dissemination but also information distortion," Mr Springborg told reporters in Brisbane.

 

Mr Springborg said he was concerned by its official look and name, and its discussion on topics such as legalising marijuana.

 

"That is policy nonsense to suggest we'd be going there," he said.

 

"In actual fact, that is the antithesis of what we believe in when it comes to the issue of addressing the scourge of drugs."

 

Mr Smith is being sought for comment.

ttp://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland/potty-lnp-website-makes-wacky-drug-claim/2008/08/12/1218306860526.html

[ianTE]

"That is policy nonsense to suggest we'd be going there," he said.

 

On Ten news (WA) a politician was asked had she ever smoked marijuana. She answered No of course but with such distaste like she had something bad in her mouth.

 

Can they really be that afraid?

[Wayne Smith]

Are you kidding?

 

They are friggin terrified.

LNP calls in lawyers over rogue website.

Right now Lawrence Springborg is trying to shut the site down. Pretty silly really. Assuming he could even get an ammendment to existing intellectual property laws and successfully got the site deleted I'd just create a new one. It's a common garden variety Proboard for god sakes. Politicians often talk about subjects they are completely ignorant of and they really shouldn't. It makes them look like dumbasses.

 

I'm trying to encourage open and honest debate about a new political party and politics in general. I know. A bloody boring subject. I hope to change all that. Anyone is welcome and I hope some of you guys choose to drop by some day. I'd be interested in hearing your comments in regard to cannabis reform. Just try and keep the language down a bit ok. Personally I couldn't give a rats behind but proboards has this terms of service thingy which I have to support.

 

Keep up the good work guys. The marijuana laws are an infringement on personal freedom and after 70 years of prohibition I think its time for some frank and open discussion. Hopefully even some change.

Edited August 14, 2008 by Wayne Smith

[Indycar]

Good luck with it Wayne. You have taken on one monumental task, especially considering who your dealing with. The Queensland Nats will absolutely never in your wildest dreams come to the party, in regards to cannabis reform. Let alone the dumbarse Queensland Libs.

 

I like how Springbog is concerned about the scourge of drugs within our community. I share similar views as him, just that it's pollie's i'm more concerned about, than cannabis..

 

That lil' statement of his alone, has made my mind up, come next election.

 

All the best with it Wayne.

 

[Wayne Smith]

Thanks IndyCar. Never say never mate. I'm testing the theoretical assumption that politicians actually work for the people. While its doubtful we'll see an immediate flipflop on policy I think I can embarass them enough over time that they'll be forced to face their own hypocrisy.

 

The drug industry finances other crimes such as the arms trade and human slavery. They use the same smuggling routes. Violent crime would drop overnight if drugs were taken out of the equation.

 

I read a book by Jasper Carrott called 'High Society'. A very interesting read.

 

The drug war is evil and directly responsible for many of the worst aspects of western society. Any person of good conscience who knows this and doesn't speak up about it is either callous or a coward.

 

Ofcourse, marijuana was just one controversial topic I've touched on at the forum. I intend to write up articles on a lot of other stuff too. Hopefully some of the new members will join me.

 

Bye for now.

[freddie]

Well this is certainly out of left (or right) field.

 

I never would have expected an LNP supporter (assuming you are an LNP supporter) to tackle this subject. It is usually the left (greens, democrats) that supports law reform. I am not sure why as conservative forces usually champion individual rights and market forces. When it comes to the ‘War on Drugs” all logic seems to evaporate. However I don’t agree that the task is impossible. The Coutry Womens Association used to support medical marijuana. Also in the course of my work I’ve had dealings with Queensland farmers who I found to be polite, intelligent, environmentally aware and much more switched on than I was expecting. The problem is years of misinformation and propaganda about cannabis which shows no signs of abating.

 

The drug industry finances other crimes such as the arms trade and human slavery. They use the same smuggling routes. Violent crime would drop overnight if drugs were taken out of the equation.

A lot of us grow our own so we don't have to deal with crime. The irony is that if we got caught the law would come down on us harder.

 

Good luck with this Wayne and welcome to the site.

[Wayne Smith]

I'm not an LNP supporter. I guess if I have to be pigeonholed I would be classed as a wildcard.

 

Well spoken Freddie. I wish somebody would join the forum and post exactly what you just said. I created it to get public opinions like that heard.

 

The media is really running with this story about... well... 'nothing', but I don't know how long it will last. I'm surprised it even got a mention with the Olympics on. However, having said that it could run all the way to the next election and beyond. I don't think they can shut me down. Maybe assasinate me... but then that would only feed the story.

 

 

This morning I was about to get stuck into a bacon egg muffin at hungry jacks when SeaFM Radio started talking about it during the news break. Dalby man Wayne Smith buys LiberalNationalParty.Org(interestingly some reports mention the .com and others the .org) and the LibNats are trying to shut him down. One lady at another table said I was naughty.

 

"Yes." I replied. "Pure evil."

 

The longer this continues the more infamous I'm going to get.

 

I have had a poll running for a few days now on pot legalisation. Check it out. Not a massive response so far but I'll keep it open.

 

Should MJ be legal?

 

Currently 7 votes for and 2 against.

Edited August 15, 2008 by Wayne Smith

[Dragonfan]

For what it's worth, I voted for . . . and shall revisit the site and see what else is new? Goodonya for having a go, stirring up the Pollies is the only way to go . . . but I reckon it'll be a long time before we see any SENSE in the political arena, if ever, sadly . . . they've got too much to lose from big business in the first instance and all the bullshit that's been force fed to the public for so many years ends up being accepted as fact rather than the abject fiction it really is . . . GOOD LUCK!

[WantDaChronic]

unfortunately i dont think the media cares about the contents of the website so much as they do the effect its having on the political party like if the shit storm was created because the site is pro pot you'd think ozstoners would be making the news every day, but because you have basically said a political party is pro pot when they are the total opposite they have freaked out thinking it amounts to an attack on their party

 

personally i dont think you'll accomplish anything with that website when it comes to cannabis law reform. there is simply too much attention being focused on you being a "cyber squatter" who has little to no regard for the law or politics even though you aren't breaking any laws and have the freedom to express your political views all you please

 

honestly if that were my site i would make an argument for legalising cannabis that cant be argued against without looking like a cold hearted fool. you do that the political party will freak out 10x as much as they are now and when that happens give them a call and offer the site to them for 10 million dollars. they'll ofcourse say no, but you can use the site as leverage and if you are truely concerned about cannabis law reform you can use the profits to form your own political party. you do that and not only will you get my vote in the election, i'll personally hand out pamphlets and all kinds of shit for you too

[Wayne Smith]

The media are only interested in sensationalised stories. I'm well aware of that. However, I've been running forums on the net for over a decade and know a trick or two about pushing them up in search engines. The LNP threw away the opportunity to buy the most relevant domain names for their party. As the forum grows webcrawlers will push it up to the top of search engine results. I'm going to try and keep adding interesting topics when I can and promote the site wherever possible.

 

I was talking to some friends of mine in Dalby about it and they told me that they have a friend who owns LaborParty.Com! What are the chances. Apparently he lives quite close by. I'm going to try and arrange a chat. Could prove interesting.