http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/8719645/Board-members-dairy-selling-legal-highs-irks

I went to the Waitara Community Board meeting on the 13^th May 2013 requesting the Board take a stance against the selling of synthetic highs in the town.

Councillors, the Mayor and the Board members were present they were all aware of the Board member selling the synthetic drugs in the town of Waitara, at her shop.

I asked for the Waitara Community Board member to stop selling the synthetic highs…

The Community board called for a report and asked “what could they do?”

I was later told by a District Councillor to make another deputation to the next Waitara Community Board…

I leave you to judge the caliber of our local representatives and their ethics here

Here is my letter to the paper 29^th May 2013.

I made a deputation to the last Waitara Community Board meeting, requesting they take a public stand and express their concern over the sale of legal highs in Waitara. I also suggested that the Board member selling the drugs stop doing so. I did not name her at the meeting, but everyone knew who I was talking about. I thought the Community Board should be able to sort this out among themselves and resolve this issue. I later talked to the Councilor Craig McFarlane who suggested I make another deputation to the board to discuss this… Yeah Right. They now plead – what can they do? Not one of the Councillors or the Board members has phoned me to express support or even discuss the issue.

The Councillors and the Waitara Community board have had a request to take a public stand on this issue. They have failed. Now they want the public to do the job. In the past if the Council wanted something to happen they have been outspoken and they acted as leaders for the community. Yesterday I received an aggressively unpleasant anonymous letter on my stand on this subject written on the back of an agenda item for a New Plymouth District Council 5 June 2013 meeting. I have handed it to the police. While the Community Board and the local Councillors are too timid to speak out, the health and welfare of Waitara folk is being comprised and the retailer is making the money. We all know these drugs are currently legal. That doesn’t make them all right and it doesn’t make it moral to sell them.

Sincerely, Fiona Clark, Tikorangi, Waitara

27^th May 2013

The sale of synthetic cannabis by a Waitara Community Board member is causing a stir in the North Taranaki town of Waitara.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/8719645/Board-members-dairy-selling-legal-highs-irks

28^th May 2013

The Waitara community is being urged to follow Stratford’s example and put pressure on stores to stop selling legal highs.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/8723323/Push-to-stop-legal-highs

29^th May 2013

Public pressure has resulted in Waitara Community Board member Christine Armstrong-Smith vowing to remove all legal highs from her store. I wait to see if this happens

In a statement to the Taranaki Daily News yesterday, Mrs Armstrong-Smith said they had decided to stop selling once current stock had been sold, which should take no more than a week.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/8728274/Board-member-pledges-to-end-legal-high-sales

31^st May 2013

http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/8739347/Police-thrilled-at-dairies-legal-high-response

1st June 2013

http://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-daily-news/news/8744291/We-all-say-no-to-selling-fake-dope

Waitara’s High St Dairy featured on a list of retailers selling synthetic cannabis products in yesterday’s Taranaki Daily News – this is not correct.

Senior Sergeant Matt Prendergast said – He apologised for any confusion.