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.