Monday, September 17, 2007

Submit!

The Health Committee has called for submissions on the Misuse of Drugs (Classification of BZP) Amendment Bill. Two copies, by Friday, 12 October 2007, to

Health Committee Secretariat
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
Health is a backwards committee, and does not accept electronic submissions.

The bill isn't just inconsistent with an evidence-based assessment of the actual risks - it is also inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act. And that's according to Crown Law, who will usually twist themselves into knots to avoid such a finding. If it can't be thrown out (a long shot given that Parliament has no shame about being inconsistent on recreational chemicals), the proposed level at which a presumption that posession is for the purposes of supply needs to be raised significantly.

Making a submission is not difficult - it can be as simple as writing a letter saying "I support/oppose the bill" and giving reasons why. If you're not sure, the Clerk has an online guide here.