DUNNE AND GREENS CONTINUE BITTER WAR OF WORDS OVER CANNABIS

A row between United Future leader Peter Dunne and the Greens over the
merits of cannabis flared up again yesterday.

Mr Dunne released an abusive email from a Green Party worker and in turn
fired back an uncomplimentary press release himself.

Stuart Young, who runs the Greens' website, sent an email to Mr Dunne
calling him a coward for refusing to debate cannabis law reform with Green
MP Nandor Tanczos.

The email exhorts "dirty lunger", "Peter Dunhill" to "smoke cannabis, not
tobacco, its (sic) better for you" and calls him an "extremely rude
hypocritical scumbag" for not supporting cannabis law reform.

"Didn't you say that you think cannabis should be illegal because its bad
for you? ... by that reasoning how can justify not banning tobacco," Mr
Young wrote.

Mr Dunne said he believed the email was typical of Green political debate.

"It never lifts itself above the level of crude personal abuse, it lacks
good grammar and spelling; and all its assertions fail the test of being
backed by reasoned logic," he said.

Mr Dunne said there had been media reports that smoking cannabis did not
increase one's chances of dying.

"It is good to know that the Greens' pro-drug policies won't actually kill
us all, even though it may leave us paranoid, forgetful, dopey, depressed,
battling psychiatric problems and struggling with the ravages of cancer,"
he continued.

"On reflection, perhaps death would be preferable to the Green's idea of a
drug-fuelled nirvana."

The long-running feud has seen Mr Tanczos and Mr Dunne exchange insults and
press statements for the past few months.

At one point Mr Tanzcos said it was time to end the personal attacks and
get down to business in a public debate in Mr Dunne's electorate.

But Mr Dunne did not like the idea of sharing a platform with the Green MP.

"I wouldn't have Nandor in my electorate - it would lower the house values."