I'll put the 'toke' back in Tokerau, says candidate | Northland News | Local News in Northland

The final candidate in the Te Tai Tokerau by-election promises to put the "toke" back into the electorate by standing under the banner of the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party.

Maki Herbert, originally from Hokianga but now living in Auckland, has been selected by the party (the ALCP) for the June 25 by-election,

Incumbent MP Hone Harawira, who resigned from Parliament after leaving the Maori Party, will stand for the Mana Party.

List MP Kelvin Davis will stand for Labour, Solomon Tipene for the Maori Party, and Kelvyn Alp for the OURNZ Party.

ALCP had its best showing of any electorate in the country in Tai Tokerau in the 2008 election. The party's candidate, Judy Daniels, standing for the second time, won 788 votes to come third, behind Mr Harawira and Mr Davis.

Ms Herbert said she started smoking cannabis at 15 and still enjoyed it.

ALCP says its aim is to legalise cannabis for recreational, spiritual, medicinal and industrial purposes; to empower people to work together for peace and true justice; and to institute a balance between the power of the state and the rights of the individual. Ms Herbert said using the drug responsibly did not stop her from being a contributing member of society.

She said she had taught swimming at Mount Maunganui, Maori weaving in schools, te reo Maori, been a volunteer St John ambulance officer in Kohukohu, Hokianga, resource centre administrator in Pawarenga, and administrator of five kohanga reo centres in the Hokianga. She was also a team manager for the under-16 girls waka ama team in Pawarenga.