Viewpoints

Viewpoints, a regular feature in our Matters of Substance quarterly magazine, looks objectively at both sides of a contentious issue. You decide.

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  1. Should Māori wardens have special powers to remove drunk Māori from bars?

    The Mäori Community Development Act 1962 gives Mäori wardens the power to tell bar staff to “abstain from selling or supplying liquor to any Mäori who in the opinion of the warden is in a state of intoxication, or is violent, quarrelsome, or disorderly, or is likely to become so, whether intoxicated or not”. It also allows them to remove the person from licensed premises and even to confiscate their car keys.

  2. Should New Zealand introduce drug courts?

    As part of its review of New Zealand’s Misuse of Drugs Act, the Law Commission has recommended drug courts be trialled in New Zealand.

  3. Should ibogaine be an approved drug treatment?

    Ibogaine is a naturally occurring alkaloid of the Tabernanthe iboga plant, which is native to West Central Africa. It ’s a powerful psychedelic that has been used medicinally and in religious ceremonies for centuries.

  4. Should cannabis be on WADA's banned substances list?

    Cannabis has been on the World Anti Doping Agency's (WADA's) list of substances since 2004. Despite recieving pressure from various quarters to remove it, WADA's Executive Committee has approved a new version of the list for 2011, with cannabis still included.

    In this addition of Viewpoints we provide the arguments for and against keeping cannabis as a banned substance for sportspeople.

  5. Liquor licensing exemptions for Police bars

    The current Sale of Liquor Act exempts Parliament and the canteens of Police, prison officers, the Defence Force and the Fire Service from the requirement to hold a licence to sell and supply alcohol.