The Standard has raised the issue of donations to Peter Dunne and United Future:
Dunne clears the competition for his backers
A cynic might ask if Peter Dunne is out to eliminate the competition of his mates and (it is widely thought) donors in the alcohol and cigarette industries by setting ever higher barriers for other legal highs. And I’m that cynic.
I’m not against anyone selling something for human consumption having to prove its safety. But why doesn’t Dunne extend that to his the booze and bakky shills? Let’s be under no illusions – if the party pill industry was funding United Future, this law change wouldn’t be happening.
A cynic might asked why Zetetic has bravely launched this attack knowing I have just been muzzled at The Standard (he may have been involved in the muzzling).
But more important – how much is Peter Dunne and United Future funded?
Peter Dunne’s Ohariu electorate candidate return 2011.
- one $10,000 donation from the United Future Party
So all that alcohol and tobacco industry money must go to the party then.
UnitedFuture party donation return 2011
- Four donations totalling $15,000
- One donation of $10,000
Total donations $25,000. More than that was paid out of United Future candidates own pockets. No sign of any generous benefactors of any sort, let alone from industries that have been alleged to fund the party.
So the scandal is that this old allegation keeps being promoted, this time by Zetetic, who didn’t think there may be virtually nothing to pin his smears to.
And to add ignorance to stupidity:
Incidentally, do you know where Dunne worked before becoming an MP? The Alcoholic Liquor Advisory Council.
It was quickly pointed out:
I thought ALAC was the crown entity to moderate the effects of drinking. ? You make it sound like a front for Super Liquor.
A cynic would be wrong.
Instead we should be applauding Mr Dunne for following – pretty much to the letter – the advice he received from the NZ Law Commission as part of its seminal review of NZ’s obsolete Misuse of Drugs Act.
I don’t think we should be dissing a minister for following evidence-based, independent advice.
Rather, congratulations to Dunne for doing this. If Parliament passes this, NZ will be the first to try a regulated market for psychoactive substances.
So yeah, there are certainly hypocrisies in our approach to drugs, but credit where credit’s due.
