Pubdate: Thu, 20 Aug 2009
Source: NOW Magazine (CN ON)
Copyright: 2009 NOW Communications Inc.
Contact:  http://www.nowtoronto.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/282
Author: Enzo Di Matteo
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/people/Dana+Larsen

NDP SMOKE OUT

Are The Ndp No Longer Pro-Pot?

I didn't expect much when the text of Jack Layton's keynote speech 
from NDP convention in Halifax showed up in my inbox Sunday evening. 
I wasn't disappointed.

Trying to convince the party faithful that the NDP can win the next 
election doesn't make for the most scintillating prose.

There wasn't much to take away from the weekend for those watching on 
the CBC or CPAC. Party higher ups saw to that. The NDP in danger of 
becoming boring? We may have well reached that point.

The only story making any headlines, a move to drop the New from New 
Democratic Party, never came to a vote.

Fun-loving Jack's treading carefully on this one. But if the plan is 
to perform major brain surgery, to change the party's mindset, why 
not ditch the old label and start anew without the New?

Perhaps it's just a question of logistics ie: too close to an 
expected runoff in the fall for the NDP to seriously consider the 
question - for now.

Whatever. The NDP seems keen enough about cleaning up its image. All 
of a sudden, the party of conscience is musing aloud about phasing 
out taxes for small business.

Unlike the previous NDP convention where Layton called for an 
immediate troop pull out from Afghanistan, there was no boffo moment 
at the Halifax confab.

But for part of  the party's traditional base, the motley-crew of 
activists pushing issues like decriminalization of pot, the weekend 
was a watershed moment.

The NDP has officially, it seems, severed its ties to its radical 
fringe, killing a motion calling for an end to marijuana prohibition 
even before it got to the convention floor. It never came to a vote 
on the convention floor, hung up by a procedural oversight, or 
shenanigans by party brass, depending on your perspective.

No more hippy dipping for the Dippers. We're a serious party now. 
Focussed on winning.

The grumbling among the pro-pot crowd in Halifax got louder over the 
treatment of former NDP candidate Dana Larsen.

Larsen, some of you will remember, ran for the NDP in West 
Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country last time out.

Larsen was bounced after an embarrassing video surfaced on the CBC of 
him bonging up a storm, partaking in the earthly delights of the tree 
of knowledge, as it were.

Seems Larsen continued his pro-pot activism within the party, signing 
up support for that aformentioned motion to end pot prohibition for 
the Halifax gathering, post political daze. His End Prohibition group 
boasts some 800 party members.

Only, he says he was stripped of his observer status by convention 
organizers before he could get in the front door . And left to wander 
on the sidewalk outside to tell his story when he arrived in Halifax 
last Friday.

The NDP convention Facebook event page quickly filled with posts 
condemning the party's decision. Larsen's lobbying efforts around the 
pot prohibition issue - he helped cover some delegates' travel 
expenses - are reportedly what got him the boot, seen by party brass 
as vote buying.

The new NDP?  Seems like so long ago that Layton was shooting his own 
pro-pot video on Pot-TV. Back then, in 2003, the NDP leader was 
calling on young people and drug reformers to join the party. What a 
difference six years in Ottawa makes.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom