NSW parliamentary inquiry into medical cannabis - due Feb 15

[mjbarratt]

I thought contributors to this part of OZStoners would be very interested in this inquiry. Here is a quote from NSW parliament media release:

 

On 22 November 2012, the NSW Legislative Council referred an Inquiry into the medical use of cannabis to General Purpose Standing Committee No. 4. The Committee, chaired by the Hon Sarah Mitchell MLC of The Nationals, includes representatives of the Australian Labor Party, the Greens and the Liberal Party.

 

The motion to refer the Inquiry to General Purpose Standing Committee No. 4 was put forward by Labor member the Hon Luke Foley MLC, and was agreed to without opposition from Council members.

 

The Committee Chair, Mrs Mitchell said, 'The Committee will be examining the safety and efficacy of cannabis for medical purposes as well as considering if and how cannabis should be supplied for medical use. In addition, the Inquiry will investigate the legal implications of cannabis use for medical purposes, as well as any other related issues.'

 

'There is a diverse collection of views held on this issue by the community, and the Committee wishes to hear from the widest possible range of stakeholders.'

 

Submissions are now being called for by the Committee from interested organisations and individuals. The closing date for submissions in Friday 15 February 2013.

 

The Committee will to hold two Sydney hearings, in March 2013. Detailed information about the dates and times of these hearings will be advertised on the Committee website following the closing date for submissions. The Committee is scheduled to report to the House by 14 May 2013.

 

For further information about the Inquiry, including its terms of reference, and for more on how to make a submission, please visit the Committee's website at: www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/gpsc4, or call the Committee Secretariat on (02) 9230 3081

 

Click here to lodge your submission - before 15 Feb 2013!

 

And if you haven't already, you can also complete our anonymous study of Australian cannabis growers. We will be using this information to make an official submission to the inquiry so this is another way you can have your voice heard.

[mrgoodcat]

Hashwizard, I think that is a dangerous attitude.

 

For a really long time, we have put up with cops doing bad things, and say "ah, it's just a bad apple". We do the same thing with politicians and government, saying "ah, that one is a moron".

 

But when you look at it long term, it has been a downward slide - cops are getting much, much worse, and politicians are so awful that we feel happy when we get one that doesn't lie too much. We expect them to lie to us, and expect them not to achieve much during their term. Meanwhile, our taxes go up, life is harder for the ordinary man, and the rich and powerful get more rich and more powerful.

 

I'm sick of it, and wont take it any more. There are no bad apple coppers - if you are a cop, spending your whole work life with a "bad apple" and never get around to busting him while you chase down innocent gunja smokers or people going 5Km over the speed limit, then you too are a bad apple. There are no good politicians - if you know that corruption is going on, and you don't make an investigation your number one priority, even if it costs you your job, then you're just another self serving scumbag.

 

Anyone who puts up with even one person being discriminated against deserves no justice themselves. Look at those poor bastards with cancer, who could use cannabis to enjoy their last couple months, being denied it because of a political failure or captured government - how can you stand by and say "the government does some good things" while that happens? It's a bit like a bloke breaking into your house, smashing your window, stealing your car, and taking all the money out of your wallet except for leaving 50 bucks so you can get a cab to work in the morning so you can make more money for him to come next time. That's what the government does. They take as much money and as many rights from you as they can, while leaving you just enough to keep working and not start a revolution. It isn't an accident that life in this country is harder today than it was 50 years ago, despite all the technology and infrastructure we have.

 

Then they spit in yoru face with this "the government has compassion for..." garbage. It's an insult.

[mjbarratt]

It's a real shame. If only we had more enlightened people in government.

[hashwizard]

I'm not sure if a lack of 'enlightenment' is the problem. Look what happened to Peter Garrett. I wasn't the only one expecting big things from the lead singer of the Oils.

Rolled over like a piddling little puppy on his back. Read his sanctimonious lyrics & unsolicited speeches on uranium mining, land rights, etc. the youths voice of conscious & reason. And what did we get? Just another self-serving egoist with his snout in the trough. What did he change? Sweet fuck all, that's what. Now that he's got his pension & all the lurks & perks of office, he's buggering off to retire living off the fat of the land. The words in his songs was just popular rhetoric aimed at record sales. He's a hypocrite of the worst kind.

 

It begs the question, does Parliament change people or does politics attract mostly grubs [one must not forget the exception - Ted Mack] who care only for themselves?

[Naycha]

I'm not sure if a lack of 'enlightenment' is the problem. Look what happened to Peter Garrett. I wasn't the only one expecting big things from the lead singer of the Oils.

Rolled over like a piddling little puppy on his back. Read his sanctimonious lyrics & unsolicited speeches on uranium mining, land rights, etc. the youths voice of conscious & reason. And what did we get? Just another self-serving egoist with his snout in the trough. What did he change? Sweet fuck all, that's what. Now that he's got his pension & all the lurks & perks of office, he's buggering off to retire living off the fat of the land. The words in his songs was just popular rhetoric aimed at record sales. He's a hypocrite of the worst kind.

 

It begs the question, does Parliament change people or does politics attract mostly grubs [one must not forget the exception - Ted Mack] who care only for themselves?

 

Just out of interest, what would Peter Garrett have to have done to satisfy you?

 

Naycha

[hashwizard]

To stand by the courage of his convictions. Listen to his anti-uranium mining lyrics & his recent remarks on the subject. A complete 180.

He quickly fell into line, pulled his head in, did bugger all, & now he's collecting his lifelong pension.

 

I expected big things from Garrett. I shared a joint with him [when he had long hair] & some of his crew in the late 70's outside the Charles hotel [was to be their 'home pub' before being banned by the publican, an ex police Sgt, for saying 'fuck' on stage. It was then that the Narrabeen Antler became known as their pub.]  I saw most of their gigs at the Stage Door Tavern [best live band venue ever] in the city.

 

To answer your question Naycha, I would have been satisfied if he raised his voice & used his position to help create change through debate. It wouldn't have mattered if he was the lone voice against entrenched ignorance, as long as he's done SOMETHING. Yet he did NOTHING of consequence. No rousing robust speech for all to hear on his departure, just took his money & ran.

Although we had differences of opinion on some issues, I liked & admired Garrett. I considered him 'one of us'. Sadly, reality shows he's just a self-serving hypocrite. Just my opinion.

[Naycha]

Cheers for the reply.

 

Naycha

[brick]

To stand by the courage of his convictions. Listen to his anti-uranium mining lyrics & his recent remarks on the subject. A complete 180.

He quickly fell into line, pulled his head in, did bugger all, & now he's collecting his lifelong pension.

 

I expected big things from Garrett. I shared a joint with him [when he had long hair] & some of his crew in the late 70's outside the Charles hotel [was to be their 'home pub' before being banned by the publican, an ex police Sgt, for saying 'fuck' on stage. It was then that the Narrabeen Antler became known as their pub.]  I saw most of their gigs at the Stage Door Tavern [best live band venue ever] in the city.

 

To answer your question Naycha, I would have been satisfied if he raised his voice & used his position to help create change through debate. It wouldn't have mattered if he was the lone voice against entrenched ignorance, as long as he's done SOMETHING. Yet he did NOTHING of consequence. No rousing robust speech for all to hear on his departure, just took his money & ran.

Although we had differences of opinion on some issues, I liked & admired Garrett. I considered him 'one of us'. Sadly, reality shows he's just a self-serving hypocrite. Just my opinion.

And that is why the labour party lured him to their fold. They were scared he would grab votes from them. I dont think he sold out, I think he was promised the world of the left, then they screwed him over. Like many he thought labour was for the worker. They just did not want him in the greens. No capitals for either of these party's, imo they don't deserve it.

[Sir PsychoHashy]

I'm pretty much with Hashwizard on the Garret thing, that bald bastard lost all credibility for me the day he slunk off to the Labour party and traded in his ethics.  He wanted mainstream recognition and attention, and as Brick said the Labour party wanted his personality in the party for the votes it would bring, added bonus was that they effectively silenced him.  Problem is that he allowed them to silence him, and that is one of the problems with Aussie politics, it's a 2 party system where individual members are strongly discouraged (to put it mildly) from doing or saying anything other than the party line, which is how we end up with outcomes like this load of bollocks.  I'm gonna stop there before I get started on a Peter turncoat Garret rant-a-thon, he can go and rot in prison with Corby for all I care

[MrTrimbole]

I think part of Garrets problem was he just got older so he became less passionate about the same things he was at 25. He is no spring chicken and its been proved in the past that a lot of left leaning people become either disfranchised by 40 or become complete opposite of what they were at 21. And at 50 you just end up being another conservative. It happens to all of us.

 

My old man was such a staunch advocate for a long of things in the early 70s. If you look at pictures of him back in '71 he is so far from the person he is today that sometimes i have to ask my mum if that really was him. He was a long haired uni anti Vietnam war activist who used to not wash, not wear any shoes and just crash at whoevers house and smoke a shit load of pot. Sometime in the mid 1980s he changed and became really conservative in almost every aspect of his life. He just got older i guess but he hardly shares, if any at all, the same world views at 61 that he had when he was 21.

 

And tbh now that i am 40 i feel that i too am becoming conservative in my ideals. You wake up and get on with life i suppose.

Edited November 21, 2013 by MrTrimbole

[Ford Fairlane]

get sick of fighting perhaps Bob?