Greens want cannabis use on agenda

By JOHN ARMSTRONG political editor

The high-polling Greens want the legalisation of cannabis for personal use to be on the negotiating table during any post-election coalition talks with Labour.

However, Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said her party would not be making marijuana law reform a bottom-line for entering a coalition.

"There is only one bottom-line - no release of GE outside the laboratory," she said.

"On other matters we hope to make progress by negotiation. I can't predict the outcome."

Her comments follow an offer from the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party not to stand against her in highly marginal Coromandel if the Greens make legalisation of marijuana a "fundamental issue" to be dealt with in coalition talks with Labour.

Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party leader Michael Appleby, who talked to Ms Fitzsimons last week, said he was not making any threats because his party did not see the Greens as enemies. But standing remained an option.

Ms Fitzsimons took that as a threat.

"We did not make any kind of deal. I don't do deals of that kind," she said. "I don't think it would make any difference to the electorate vote in Coromandel. Everyone knows it is a two-horse race between me and the National candidate."

Mr Appleby's party did not stand a candidate in Coromandel in 1999, but got 268 party votes in that seat. In some seats where it did stand, its candidates received several hundred votes. Ms Fitzsimons' majority is 250.

So far, the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party has 11 potential candidates for the July 27 election.

After the last election, Labour flagged the possibility of decriminalising cannabis. However, ministers got cold feet and shunted the issue into a select committee inquiry.

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