The Star: February 08, 2018

16 Thursday February 8 2018
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Viewpoint
Local
News
Now
The Star
Fire rages, homes at risk
Medicinal cannabis: Striking a balance
MEDICINAL
cannabis is a
complex, challenging
and emotion-laden
issue so there was
plenty of discussion
in Parliament last
week as two bills
came up for debate.
What we are all looking for
is a way to deliver safe and
effective, affordable cannabisbased
medicines for those that
need them, while protecting
vulnerable communities from
increased drug use.
Both bills were amendments
to the Misuse of Drugs Act. They
respond to the general mood for
the liberalisation of cannabis use
for medicinal purposes within
the country. The first was a
Government bill, the second a
Green Party members bill. But
not surprisingly, neither delivers
Nicky Wagner
a perfect solution. The Government’s
bill does very little and
the Greens Party’s bill goes too
far.
The Government bill is a ‘stopgap’
measure which provides a
statutory defence for the possession
and use of illicit cannabis
to people who are terminally
ill and expected to die within
12 months. What that does for
patients is take away the fear
of the consequences of the illegal
act of using cannabis. But
unfortunately, it does nothing
about providing legal products.
And it does not include anyone
with ongoing chronic pain or
severe and debilitating illness.
But the second part of the bill
is where the potential for an effective
solution may lie, because
it provides a regulatory power
to set up a Medicinal Cannabis
Scheme. The bill was rushed
through, so there is no detail
around that, but I believe it’s
a move in the right direction.
Parliament also agreed and the
bill passed unanimously.
The Green Party’s bill was considered
so loose that it was unworkable
and it was voted down
73 against and 47 in favour.
There is a lot more work to do
to develop an effective Medicinal
Cannabis Scheme but we now
have the opportunity to create
an evidence-based framework to
underpin a scheme.
The aim would be to provide
secure access for patients, consistent
and assured quality of
product, affordability and a safe,
well-managed supply chain. The
bill has been sent to the Health
Select Committee of which I am
a member and you can be sure
that we will be working hard to
get the best possible outcome for
New Zealanders. Submissions
will be called for next week.
•Nicky Wagner is a National
list MP based in Christchurch
Central
Cracroft house restoration
IT WAS thrilling to
attend the reopening
of the Cracroft
Old Stone House
yesterday. Apart from
congratulating all
those who worked on
the project, it was fascinating to
traverse the history.
The house was built by Sir
John Cracroft Wilson on his
Cashmere Estate in 1870-71 as
quarters for his farm workers.
Wilson had arrived in Christchurch
from a life as a distinguished
civil servant in India,
and he named the 1000 acres
(404ha) he purchased in 1854
after his favourite Indian region
– Kashmir. In Hindi, Kashmir
means “a land desiccated by water”,
which was very appropriate
for the swamplands he encountered
here.
Christchurch has many fine
stone buildings, all built for
prominence or power, but the
Lianne Dalziel
old stone house is the only one
built as a workers’ quarters.
With this in mind, its beautiful
design and construction is all
the more ironic, especially when
you compare it to the mud and
brick house that Sir John lived
in on the estate. The building is
a rare example of the Englishstyle,
lobby entry houses typical
of Britain’s agricultural architecture
of the late 17th century.
After his death in 1881, Sir
John’s son, Frederick Herbert
Wilson, continued with the
family tradition and the estate
and stone house remained in the
family. Up until 1930, the house
provided accommodation for
farm workers, and during World
War 2 the house was used by the
signals section of the Combined
Headquarters Southern. In
1966, the house was gifted to the
Student Christian Movement by
John Frederick Cracroft Wilson,
Sir John’s great-grandson.
On July 10, 1971, one of the
student’s very kindly left a lamp
on his pillow so his friends
could see when they came back
later that night. Unfortunately,
this started the fire that severely
damaged the old stone house,
destroying the roof.
Enter Norman and Betty
Roberts – it took several years
of tireless campaigning, but this
couple managed to secure the
house’s future, demonstrating to
the Heathcote County Council
that the building had real potential.
In 1978, the restoration
began.
The interior of the house was
altered and the walls of the
building strengthened. Elements
of the 1978 restoration have
their own architectural significance,
and make the house
the first stone building in New
Zealand to be totally reinforced
with concrete.
The Roberts’ wrote a book on
the house, the back of which
reads ‘Colonial to Community’.
That sums up the building’s
journey. Without the tender
loving care of people like the
Wilsons, and the Roberts’ and
the team who completed the
latest restoration, what could
have been simply a historical
footnote has become an integral
part of our community.
•More Viewpoint, p19
Peter Coleman gives his views
on the city council’s Smart
Cities programme
EX-LABOUR MP Mayor Lianne
Dalziel and councillors Vicki Buck
and Phil Clearwater are selling us
a creative, communist vision for
our fair city, as if they thought of it
themselves.
THus we have the electric airport
bus, and the awful
cycle lanes. This is
not their vision, but
the United Nation’s
Agenda 21 – the
infamous 17 SDGs
(sustainability
goals), the compact of mayors.
Without people wanting it, Smart
Cities has arisen from the newspeak
word – “sustainability.” They
want to shunt us (and get farmers
off their land) into “affordable”
accommodation. They want us, out
of our cars and using shared bikes
and public transport. The electric
car choice is a transitional ploy.
Local councils like ours, are using
ratepayers’ money to fund these
projects, as though we have chosen
this path. Dalziel is misleading us,
but we can vote them out.
Last Chance to Enrol for 2018
Last chance to enrol in Hagley’s full-time Year 12, 13 Courses
| Specialist Courses | Tertiary Pathways
Limited full-time places available only
Wherever you want to be, you’ll get there with Hagley!
Enrolments for 2018 close 3pm - 9th February 2018
CONTACT THE ENROLMENT CENTRE
Phone us on (03) 364 5156 or visit www.hagley.school.nz
for more information on courses available and what you need to enrol.