Pubdate: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 Source: Press, The (New Zealand) Copyright: 1999 The Christchurch Press Company Ltd. Contact: Private Bag 4722, Christchurch, New Zealand Fax: 364-8238 Website: http://www.press.co.nz/ Author: Nick Venter Note: Relevant portion occurs under the heading Cannabis and drug law reform THE GREENING OF NZ Idealistic rather than pragmatic, the Greens attach little worth to the deal-making that is the lifeblood of most politicians. Jeanette Fitzsimons's victory in the Coromandel electorate has added three votes to the Centre-Left's parliamentary majority. But it has come at a cost to the Greens' tentative allies. Labour has lost two MPs and the Alliance one to help make room for the five Green MPs who could enter Parliament on Ms Fitzsimons's coat-tails. And the Greens are awkward allies. Just ask the Alliance MPs who spent more than a year negotiating with the Greens before they finally made up their minds to go it alone. Idealistic rather than pragmatic, the Greens attach little worth to the deal-making that is the lifeblood of most politicians. Ms Fitzsimons and co-leader Rod Donald have pledged to support the new Government on confidence and supply votes, but on other issues the Greens will vote according to their policy. Here are some of their main platforms: Taxes: The tax system should be recast to promote jobs and the more efficient use of resources. The Government should introduce: a "low level" carbon tax to discourage the use of fossil fuels; consumption and resource taxes to encourage environmentally sustainable economic activity; levies on hazardous substances to discourage their use; a "small" levy on the movement of international capital to reduce speculation. Agriculture: Organic production is the key to farmers' and growers' success in a crowded international market. New Zealand should commit to becoming an organic nation by the year 2020. That would mean having half of New Zealand's agricultural production certified organic by 2020 and the remainder in the process of conversion. As a first step, 10 per cent of production should be certified organic by 2005. The Government should: offer financial support and incentives to farmers converting to organic production; set up an organics advisory service; redirect science funding to organic research; incorporate organic growing in all agriculture and horticulture courses. Agricultural animals should be treated humanely. Castration, tail docking, and ear marking should be minimised. Battery hen farming, sow crates, and other forms of cruelty should be eliminated. Productive land should remain in the hands of the individuals and communities who work it, not foreign investors. There should be no sales of productive land to people who are not New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Companies which are more than 49 per cent overseas-owned should not be allowed to buy land here. Genetically engineered food: Genetic engineering is not accelerated inter-breeding but the creation of entirely new lifeforms. GE products have no safety record and the consequences of their use as food are unknown. New Zealand should declare itself free of GE foods. They should not be grown or experimented with here, and any imported GE foods should be mandatorily labelled. Conservation: The quality of life is underpinned by the health of the country's eco-systems. To preserve those the Government should not allow West Coast rimu logging contracts signed shortly before the election to stand. It should establish new and bigger "mainland islands" to help save native species, control the farming of potential pests such as deer and goats to prevent the establishment of new pest populations in the wild and, where possible, replace aerial poisoning with job-creating ground-based pest control. Cannabis and drug law reform: Drug abuse is a social and public health problem, not a legal one. The present laws stop users seeking medical care, give thousands of New Zealanders criminal convictions every year, divert police resources away from crimes against people and property, and alienate people from the rule of law. The possession and cultivation of small amounts of cannabis for personal use should be decriminalised and the drug-education programme should be expanded, ensuring that it promotes the drug-free lifestyle as the healthiest. Welfare: The last 15 years have created inequalities on a scale not seen before in New Zealand. The new Government should offer "relief" to people on low incomes and beneficiaries before Christmas. Housing: Housing is a basic human right and housing costs ought to be no more than 25 per cent of income. The Government should initiate a substantial house-building programme, support innovative building techniques, and encourage "eco-friendly" house design. Justice: We need a restorative justice system. The Government should impose a moratorium on the construction of new prisons, expand the development of habilitation centres, and put more resources into the rehabilitation of existing prison inmates. Security services: The Government should abolish the Government Communications Security Bureau which runs the Waihopai and Tangimoana spy stations and consider scrapping the Security Intelligence Service. Its functions could be taken over by the police. The law allowing the SIS to break into private property should be reversed. Education: Young people burdened with big debts are leaving New Zealand in droves. To reverse the trend the Government should: write off one year's student debt for each year spent working in New Zealand, raising children, caring for the elderly, or doing community and voluntary work. Full-time students should be paid the equivalent of the dole to study. Transport: Traffic growth is "choking" New Zealand's cities, "draining" the heartland, and reducing New Zealanders' personal mobility, prosperity, and quality of life. The Government should impose a moratorium on the building of major new urban roads or motorways, introduce a rapid rail and/or busway system along major traffic routes in Auckland, and make vehicle emission-testing a part of warrant of fitness checks to cut down on pollution. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D