Obama’s Election Strategy Inspires HEMP

[OZ Stoners]

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The National Campaign Director for the HEMP Party, James Moylan, is headed to Tasmania today to host two more of the controversial “HEMP Activism & Police Wrangling” workshops which have attracted interest and created controversy.
The Hobart and Launceston events are the 5th and 6th in a series of workshops which are being held in capital cities and major provincial centres ahead of the Election Campaign. “People are hungry to know their rights. Illegal Cannabis use is simply a reality in our society, and illegal Cannabis users need to know how to stay legally healthy,” said Mr Moylan.
In a meeting with supporters yesterday, he described the current state of Electioneering in Australia to be ‘dangerously old fashioned’. “Aussies have virtually no access to the political process. In America they do it different. In Europe they do it different. But in Australia electioneering is still in the Dark Ages!”
”The rise of Obama has changed elections in America forever. There the story is now about grassroots money and channelling the voice of the citizen. Lots and lots of small donations and lots and lots of active supporters on the ground. Here it is all about advertising, stunts, ‘message control’ and how best to not talk about things. It’s topsy-turvey. Everywhere else in the first world elections are becoming more and more democratic,– while here they are becoming less democratic, and more weird.”
“By the time we get to the end of this month we will have more active supporters around Australia than any other small party. We already have almost 4000 members and associate members. And by the time we get to the election date I wouldn’t be surprised if we have more members than either the Labor or the Liberal Party. But we are still invisible. It freaks me out!””
Mr Moylan, who is also the Queensland Senate HEMP Candidate, went on to compare Australia with the land of Oz in the fairytale ‘Alice in Wonderland’. ““It’’s a disturbing but fit analogy,” he mused.
“The Big Parties in Oz sit around and take high-tea with all of their mates, the powerful interests, while the rest of us jump up and down and wear funny costumes trying to get their attention. And when they do look over at us they either refuse to talk about anything they don’t want to discuss –or they just pretend we don’t exist!”’
“I mean, more than 70% of Aussies think there should be no criminal penalties attaching to the use of cannabis. But our pollies won’t even mention the subject in public, or if they do, they yell ‘we’’ll all be killed’ and then bolt down some rabbit-hole before anyone can get over their astonishment and ask them a question! All because their mates at the table, the press barons and other corporate chappies, have threatened to take away the politicians toys if they talk to the public about anything ‘controversial.”’
When asked how the HEMP Party is different Mr Moylan pointed to the street outside the office. ““Banjo Patterson’s ‘man on the street’ still has the same concerns! He wants a government that is more worried about him than they are about themselves. That’s how HEMP is different. We are the voice of ‘the man on the street’ and the only pocket we have is his small pocket. But the thing that seems to have escaped the majority of the big party politicians is that the new media, the internet, makes it possible for all of these small pockets to put in just a little bit each, and for all the voices to be joined together. Most of all, join the votes together as well.”
“The reason we have had such a flood of new members over the last few months is that HEMP can now take a digital signature, online, for membership. Since it’s free to join HEMP, young people, who are used to doing most things in the new media, like their banking and shopping, find it simple and appropriate to join a political party in the same way. But it took us months of lobby just to get the AEC to agree to this one tiny step forward. Up until then everyone who wanted to join a political party had to sign a paper form and post it off.”
“Now we are doing the same grassroots thing with donations. We take any amount and take donations via PayPal so you can use any of the new media ways of paying as well as an old fashioned credit or debit card. But the Big Parties sit at their table, taking high-tea with the big-wigs, and simply refuse to look about and see that the electoral landscape has changed. The HEMP party is the first of a new breed of Political parties in Australia and all these cosy relationships will have to come to an end. Politicians are either going to have to start noticing that the citizens exist and start answering the questions they ask or the citizens will simply start ignoring the Big Political Parties. And for HEMP, that can only be a good thing.”
“We are not promoting an illegal activity: we are engaging in democracy and using people power to change the law: isn’t that the way we are all supposed to do it?”
For further info Mr Moylan can be reached (on the Campaign trail) on 0439 377 217.
Mr Moylan will be available for interview in Hobart on Thursday and Friday and in Launceston on Sunday.
The following email has been sent out to all active HEMP Party members in Tasmania:
Tasmania needs HEMP – HEMP needs Tasmania.
Help End Marijuana Prohibition Australia will be hosting a HEMP Activism and Police Wrangling Workshops in Tasmania this weekend.
Come along and get informed about how to help change the world as well as protecting your own legal skin. Also this weekend, on Saturday at 12 noon, the HEMP Party will be holding an inaugural Tasmanian HEMP Party State Branch meeting.
Register your intention to attend this meeting on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/events/629623533732211
As soon as we have a firm venue for the meeting everyone who has indicated they would like to attend will be emailed full information on where, when, how, and why.
Join the HEMP Party at http://www.australianhempparty.com/members
Register for the Hobart HEMP Activism and Police Wrangling Workshop at http://www.facebook.com/events/544163882316201
Register for the Launceston HEMP Activism and Police Wrangling Workshop at http://www.facebook.com/events/516174538437607
Join our HEMP Party Tasmania discussion group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/HEMP.TAS
ANYONE INTERESTED IN PUTTING UP THEIR HANDS TO BE AN OFFICER OF A HEMP PARTY TASMANIA BRANCH IS INVITED TO EMAIL THE HEMP NATIONAL CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR ON JAMESMMOYLAN@HOTMAIL.COM
 

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