Leader of the Australian Sex Party and Victorian MP Fiona Patten has condemned the jail sentences handed down to seven Nimbin locals last week for selling cannabis as a pointless, life shattering waste of resources when other jurisdictions are basking in the success of tax-and regulate models.
Thirty men charged following Operation Cuppa last year appeared in the Lismore Local Court for sentencing last week, with seven receiving jail sentences, and the rest either having their matters adjourned, or receiving suspended sentences or good behaviour bonds.
The seven men who were given jail terms, Christopher Walsh, James Brown, Tobi Cox, Beau Grabovsky, Ryan Hawken, Ben Yasserie and Zachary Fuller lodged appeals against their sentences and were granted bail.
Speaking from Denver, Colorado, Ms Patten pointed to the $US 198.5 million in taxes collected by the state in 2016 alone, which has an economy comparable to Victoria.
‘Crumbling schools are being rebuilt, a special prosecution unit has been set up to target crime and new health programs tackling problem drug use are all being funded from the tax. Tens of thousands of new jobs have also been created,’ Ms Patten said.
‘Meanwhile Australia continues to cast itself in the same light as the Philippines, wanting to wage a war against adults who are aren’t causing any harm. It’s taking police resources away from real crime, clogging up the courts and wasting hundreds of millions of dollars.’
Media reports say the Richmond Local Area Commander devoted additional police resources to the case to find a few days of video from three months of CCTV footage as the video could only be accessed in 15 minute blocks.
‘Why do politicians think it’s a great use of resources to have police time wasted, sitting down, gazing at a screen to charge someone for something that is hurting no-one? Not to mention the cost of lawyers doing the same. It’s ridiculous,” Ms Patten said.
In handing down one of the jail terms Sydney-based Magistrate Alexander Mijovich, who travelled to Lismore at taxpayer cost, is reported to have described the offence as ‘one of the highest level offences under NSW law.’
‘It is disgraceful for any government to think cannabis is in the same category as rape or murder,’ Ms Patten said.
‘A ‘lock-up for pot’ policy is stupidity on steroids. I have recently met with police in Lisbon, London and Vancouver and we should listen to them. A justice system wasting so much time on non-violent drug crime helps no-one.
‘Rather than ruining people’s lives with a pointless prison sentence, the government should set its sights on the number of schools and hospitals it could build if it took the no-brainer step of taxing and regulating cannabis.’
I agree that it is “Disgraceful for any Govt. to think cannabis is in the same category as rape or murder”…..it is a waste of taxpayers money and young lives.
The Philippines war on drugs is on “Ice”, not Pot, and Ice together with existing criminal corruption is killing the mases, children and all, in that country. Whilst having sympathy for much of Fiona Patten’s agenda, she should be more responsible in using comparasons, as it harms the good being attempted by other people, in their case poverty stricken people being victimised by powerful political drug barrons and pushers. Victor Cusack. Ocean shores
Thank you Fiona Patton for speaking out about how tax payers money is being wasted on extra policing about a substance that is falsely equated to rape and murder as well as comparing these ludicrous allegations to the mentality of the Philippines… “shoot first, ask questions later”. I would love to be a proud Australian but it becomes rather tiresome when marriage equality and marijuana legalisation are still in the dark ages.
Right on, Fiona and very well said.
You should run a few candidates up here in Richmond and Ballina
The Police are busy shuffling their deck chairs on a Titanic Law which targets a non-violent crime, while rapists, child-molesters and murderers keep on evading their vision. Where is our sister Lois’s killer? How long has it been now?
Police funds have been misdirected for years. Meanwhile, their mates in Big Pharma is getting itself in a position to make billions of dollars when it is eventually legalised.
Shame, shame, shame.
What a lot of bulldust! If the boys were just using for their own personal use..so be it…BUT they were selling commercially, making a living, not paying taxes to the Australian government.They were buying cars and guns and property with the proceeds and you think that’s ok? And I have to wonder where the supply of this cannabis is coming from? Someone must be growing it!
Totally agree with Fiona. And yes Maxx, yesterday marked the 19th anniversary of the last time sis Lois was seen alive. No body ever found, no person ever charged.
Hash, pot, marijuana, call it what you will. They’re all gateway drugs leading to worse poisons. Continue the ban on them all.
a least one young man has died of an overdose in Nimbin streets since the ” boys ” are not keeping the hard drug sellers out of our streets ….it was not an over dose of cannabis of course . Hard drugs are sold in Nimbin like in EVERYWHERE else in AUSTRALIA NOW ….as in the rest of the world . It is criminal , it is dangerous to sell hard drugs . The POLICE in NImbin do not keep the drugs away .
a young man died of an overdose in Nimbin street last week . It was not an overdose of cannabis . Nimbin village is like everywhere in Australia NOW :HARD DRUGS ARE SOLD IN THE STREETS, the police has not stop the trade of drugs but it has helped with establishing the trade of hard drugs …..before the ” boys ” were arrested we had cannabis [ which is safer than alcohol – how many PPL die of alcohol and kill or hurt others every day? ]. it sadden me greatly .
And you honestly think the lane boys weren’t into harder drugs??? Sure they were only caught selling pot in the lane…but they were also buying and using harder drugs…
If you want to continue the alcohol pub industry…its only fair that the pot industry be made legal…i dont do either because its bad for health but this situation is hippocracy!