Little AndrewHon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Health): Thank you Madam Chair. I thank the member Simon Bridges who's just resumed his seat. He started off by saying he's not here for a long time. I thought he was going to say he's here for a good time—but he didn't even give us the benefit of that—which is what some people say when they're going off to enjoy themselves on Karangahape Road and nightclubs and what have you. But anyway let's see if I can answer his questions seriatim.He started by asking why this wasn't promised in the election. Well actually it was. We said that we are committed to the continuation of the regime—to have a regime that allows for drug-checking.The member asked why it has gone from music festivals to—it took him a while to explain to me to where it's gone from musical festivals to—anywhere. The point is that there are potentially dangerous substances let's call them recreational substances consumed in a whole bunch of different settings and environments; not just at music festivals. We in last year's short-term legislation stuck with music festivals because we knew there was an immediate need and we could test out if you like setting up a regime that allowed us to do that.But the reality is there are people who are consuming substances the authenticity of which the reality of which they do not know. And they should have access to it as well because in the end this is about keeping people safe. It's about keeping people safe from illicit substances that can be traded without any verification about what it is and what we saw from the exercise last summer at music festivals is that a lot of people—young people in that situation—were kept safe as a result. There was a strong public benefit as a result. And just as those who go to music festivals and want to try out substances and really wanted to know what they are so it is for people all year round in a variety of different settings—people who live on the streets people who might go a nightclub people who are using substances that have the potential to cause harm particularly if they are substances that the person doesn't know have been mixed in with what they think it is and could cause a lot of serious trouble.So the idea is that this will allow a regime to be put in place that would deal with music festivals orientation weeks and what have you but also those who are year-round consuming substances that come their way and they don't know the safety of it. I mean it's not so long ago—it's in living memory of that member and myself—when we had the synthetic cannabis crisis because people were purchasing stuff and consuming stuff when they simply did not know what was in it. It was causing severe harm—actually causing deaths. This is the thing the mischief if you like that we're trying to remedy. So it is intended to be broader than just music festivals and orientation weeks.The member asked whether this could mean people could set up outside local playgrounds and schools. No because that's not where these transactions are taking place and it's not where people who are using substances from a questionable background need to have them tested. So that won't happen.Then the member asked why the person who's getting the testing done does not pay for it. Because there is a public health benefit as a consequence. This is about keeping people safe. In the greater scheme of things it's actually not an expensive safeguard to have for people who at a time in life might indulge in substances that would otherwise cause them harm.The member asked whether the costs will rise. We will make sure as we do with health initiatives and public health initiatives in particular that there is a regime in place that means that people can get access—and it doesn't require them to be wealthy to do so—to testing services so that they can keep safe. That's again what this is about. It won't be expensive because it's not expensive and we'll support those who meet the conditions to get a permit and get a permit to carry out the testing and support them to do that job because that is what it takes to keep people safe.