4. Question No. 4—Prime MinisterHon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 4—Prime Minister4. Hon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's policies and statements?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes particularly the Government's decision to allow New Zealanders to decide for themselves how cannabis should be best regulated to reduce harm particularly to young people through a referendum at the next election.Hon Paula Bennett: Does she stand by the main objective in the legalising recreational cannabis bill which is to promote the wellbeing of New Zealanders?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes. In fact you can see through things like age restrictions the banning of advertising making it illegal to consume in public places and for instance a licensing regime which is very particular around the way that they'll consider edibles to try and ensure that they're never targeted at young people—all of that is around trying to reduce consumption and particularly restrict consumption from ever reaching young people. Ultimately though the question that's going to New Zealand is: do they believe that harm reduction is best achieved through the current status quo or best achieved through a heavily regulated environment as is proposed by the bill and ultimately they will decide.Hon Paula Bennett: Does she think it promotes the wellbeing of New Zealanders when there is no mention of drug-driving in the bill when 79 people died on our roads with drugs in their systems in 2017? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Look I don't think there'd be much distance between anyone in this House over the concerns of drug-driving. Already though that is something that is dealt with through the Associate Minister of Transport. There are some specific issues that need to be worked on still with some of the technologies in order to accurately predict impairment through drug-driving but I think everyone in this House wants to ensure we do not have the issue of drug-driving on our roads. Finally I do want to take the opportunity to add that Thursday is the day when all members of this House who have an interest in this bill are able to come together in the cross-party group that's working on the content of this bill. I encourage members to do that. We are—Hon Simon Bridges: How cynical. Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I would say to the Leader of the Opposition that he well knows this is a draft bill that gives members the time through till March to work on the content and I encourage him to constructively engage. Hon Paula Bennett: Does she think it promotes the wellbeing of New Zealanders when there is no mention of workplace safety and impairment issues caused by cannabis in the bill? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: That is because the Employment Relations Act 2000 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 already regulate for that very issue. Hon Paula Bennett: Does she think it promotes the wellbeing of New Zealanders when under her Government's legislation people will be able to purchase up to 14 grams a day of weed? [Holds up small bag of cannabis] [Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member well knows that in drafting a bill that all of New Zealand can determine whether they agree with we will have looked at international frameworks that already exist. I would say to the member that in Washington it is twice that; in Canada it is more than twice that; and in Colorado it's twice that. So if the member believes it should be less I implore the member to come and engage with the group that has been brought together across this House to constructively engage on the issues and if the member disagrees with that level it is absolutely her prerogative to put that argument alongside other MPs as part of that cross-party working group. [Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! Order! I am going to ask both the deputy leader of the National Party and the Minister of Finance to chill out. Hon Iain Lees-Galloway: How does the maximum amount of cannabis that can be purchased at any one time in the draft bill compare to the maximum amount of alcohol that one could purchase at any one time if there is such a thing? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: OK. The member is right to point out that this is a highly regulated environment—much more so obviously than what exists for alcohol. The question here of course is that our aspiration in drafting a bill that New Zealanders can decide on is harm reduction. We've looked at international frameworks. In Canada it is 30 grams. In Colorado it is 28 grams. In Washington it is 28 grams. The proposal in this bill is half that or sometimes more than half that. If the member disagrees with that she is a member of that cross-party group. I encourage her to engage and I definitely encourage her to vote in the referendum as the rest of New Zealand will. Hon Grant Robertson: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. SPEAKER: A point of order—and this is a warning Mr Robertson. I can see the look on your face and—Hon Grant Robertson: I think it's a good one. SPEAKER: No—well you've got to work out whether it's going to be worth it if you get tossed. Hon Grant Robertson: Oh I do have the next question so we'll negotiate that but I just—SPEAKER: No. Hon Grant Robertson: —wonder whether the member opposite might consider tabling the bag in the House. Hon Dr Nick Smith: I was encouraged by the Prime Minister's support for dealing with the issue of drug-driving and so I wish to seek leave for the Transport (Random Testing for Drug-driving) Bill to be introduced and set down as first order of the day on the next members' day. SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that? Yes there is. Chlöe Swarbrick: Can the Prime Minister confirm that approximately a quarter of a million New Zealanders on a weekly basis presently have access—unlimited access—to sketchy cannabis through the unregulated black market? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes. In fact in working through exactly where the draft bill that will go to New Zealanders would sit on the issue of the quantity the 2016—[Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! Two very senior members. Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: As I understand the New Zealand health drug harm index from 2016 was used as the basis to establish the 14 grams based on New Zealanders' existing use. I would say to the member look everyone in this House will have different views on this bill. Ultimately harm is being done. The question is: is it best being dealt with as the current status quo or through a heavily regulated environment? It's a legitimate question and all I would implore is for us to allow a legitimate debate to be had in a House where there will be a lot of diverse views.