Pubdate: Wed, 30 Aug 2000 Source: Otago Daily Times (New Zealand) Copyright: Allied Press Limited, 2000 Contact: P.O. Box 181, 52-66 Lower Stuart Street, Dunedin, New Zealand Website: http://www2.odt.co.nz Author: Melanie Bunce Note: Melanie Bunce, of Logan Park High School, was the ODT's youth reporter at the Youth Parliament M.P.s OF THE FUTURE AGAINST CANNABIS BILL Wellington: Youth MPs at the third Youth Parliament in Wellington yesterday voted against a Bill that would result in the partial decriminalisation of cannabis. The 69-47 vote, with four abstentions, came after two hours of debate and the presentation of a report from the parliamentary select committee looking at the Bill. The committee said there were problems with the status quo but the Bill would not necessarily help the situation. It recommended members abstain from voting. While the majority of MPs were against the Bill, strong arguments also came from the 47 who favoured it. Anita Manuel, of Wairoa, said it would "help police target the dealers" while others believed cannabis had valuable medicinal qualities. The 120 secondary students were chosen by their local members of Parliament or list MPs and represented a wide cross-section of cultures and opinions. After a powhiri on Sunday, the Governor-General, Sir Michael Hardie Boyes, opened the Parliament on Monday. For the next two days, the students debated, lobbied and spoke as if they were MPs themselves. There was time for general debate on any issues the young people wished to bring up, as well as the more structured debate on the cannabis Bill. Simon Gilmour, youth MP for Dunedin North, said he had an "absolutely fantastic" time at the event and had learnt a lot from the experience. And what was the best part? "Sitting in the politicians' chairs," Stacey Kokaua, who represented the Dunedin South electorate, said. - --- MAP posted-by: Eric Ernst