Doing nothing ‘not an option’
A mayoral candidate was moved to tears in front of what may have been the most singular audience of Porirua’s election campaign.
Facing up to gang members, ex-addicts and worried parents, council-hopefuls addressed the one thing everyone was there to talk about - methamphetamine.
This is how Porirua East does elections - an open invitation to candidates to come and listen to the people and discuss the drug’s grip on Porirua.
Would-be councillors and three mayoral candidates attended Wednesday’s hui and listened as a series of speakers called for rehabilitation and treatment facilities to be built in the city.
Dennis Makalio, a senior Mongrel Mob member, was one of the organisers and said it would not be the last of its kind. He said there was not enough being done for addicts trying to quit the pipe.
‘‘There’s nothing happening, no detox, no rehab, nothing. We decided to take it on board as a community to make things happen.’’
His wife, Lizzie Makalio said the success of a methamphetamine support group started two weeks ago showed how big the problem was.
‘‘Methamphetamine is very much well and alive in Porirua and doing nothing is no longer an option.’’
Ross Bell from the Drug Foundation spoke about funding and social workers talked of their frustrations finding help for clients.
Mayoral candidate Mike Tana cried when he shared his experience of addiction.
‘‘I grew up with an alcoholic father and the police were always in my house,’’ he said before he was overcome by tears. The 100-strong crowd applauded.
Mayoral hopefuls Mike Duncan and Gordon Marshall also attended the hui.
A mother spoke about her son’s addiction and how she found open arms and advice from the people of Waitangirua after being turned away everywhere else.
There were stories of triumph. It had been four years, five months and fifteen days since Michael Hogan last used methamphetamine.
For nine long years the pipe had a hold on him, two of those spent waiting for treatment, he said.
‘‘In those two years my health deteriorated, my teeth fell out and my son moved away because he couldn’t watch his dad anymore.’’
He told candidates that if they wanted to stop crime, abuse and violence in the city they first had to help addicts.
‘‘You can’t make them wait [for treatment]. Meth isn’t going away it’s only getting worse.’’