Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party

All you want to know about Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party

Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party
Image:AotearoaLegaliseCannabisPartyLogo.png
Leader Michael Appleby
President
Deputy
Number of MPs in the House of Representatives 0
Founded 1996
Headquarters 563 Worcester St, Christchurch
Political Ideology cannabis legalisation/decriminalisation
International Affiliation
Colours Green, Black, White
Website http://www.alcp.org.nz/
See also:
 Politics & Government

Sovereign
Governor-General
House of Representatives
Speaker of the House of Representatives
Political parties
Prime Minister
Cabinet
Elections
Māori politics
Foreign relations

The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party (sometimes known as the ALCP) is a small political party in New Zealand (known as Aotearoa in the Maori language). It is dedicated to removing or reducing restrictions on the use of cannabis and similar substances. The ALCP describes current legislation on cannabis as being oppressive, and says that users of cannabis are subject to persecution. It compares laws against cannabis to the historic prohibition of alcohol. Under New Zealand's Misuse of Drugs Act 1975, cannabis is classed as a Class C drug.

The ALCP was founded in 1996. It has never won representation in Parliament. It won 1.66% of the vote in the 1996 election but its support has declined since that point – in the 1999 election it won 1.10% of the vote, in the 2002 election 0.64% and in the 2005 election 0.23%. Some of this decline may be attributed to the rise of the Green Party as an independent entity – the Greens also support the reform of drug laws, but to a lesser degree than the ALCP. One current and one recent Green MP, Metiria Turei and Nandor Tanczos, were ALCP candidates in 1996. The party's leader is Michael Appleby. The party contested the by-election in Te Tai Hauauru in mid 2004 — with their candidate, Dun Mihaka, receiving 197 votes (2.52%).

Some critics have argued that their running in the 2005 election cost the Green Party its List MP Nandor Tanczos, due to diversion of votes from the pro-reform Greens. However, their 0.23% of the party vote is unlikely to have made a difference, as not all ALCP voters would vote Green in those circumstances, and given the sudden death of Green co-leader Rod Donald, Tanczos returned to Parliament.

The ALCP mounted an aggressive campaign for the 2008 general election, with several high profile candidates including Steven Wilkinson (West Coast/Tasman) and Julian Crawford (Dunedin North).[1]

In the 2008 New Zealand general election they secured themselves 9515 votes (0.41% of total party votes cast [1] This was more than Taito Philip Field's New Zealand Pacific Party or the Family Party, but less than the avowedly satirical Bill and Ben Party.


See also

References

  1. ^ Otago Daily Times, 18 June, 2008

External links

v • d • e
Current New Zealand political parties Flag of New Zealand
Parties represented inside the
49th New Zealand Parliament
Registered parties
outside of Parliament
Non-registered political parties
Portal:Politics - List of political parties - Politics of New Zealand
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aotearoa_Legalise_Cannabis_Party"

No comments have been added.



Your name:

City:

Country:

Your comments:

Security check *
(Please enter the number into adjoining box)

 

  • Ads

           
eXTReMe Tracker