1. Health Services—Medicinal CannabisHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSHealth Services—Medicinal Cannabis1. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's policies and actions?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Acting Prime Minister): Yes.Hon Simon Bridges: Does he believe New Zealand should implement a comprehensive medicinal cannabis regime that would widen access to medicinal cannabis and license high-quality domestic production?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: The Government's view is that if the other members of Parliament were serious in this matter then they would not have put it into a member's bill in a ballot that may not be drawn in favour of the bill and they would in the last nine years have showed their integrity and sincerity on this issue rather than playing silly politics.Hon Simon Bridges: Does he agree that New Zealanders deserve greater access to high-quality medicinal cannabis products to ease their suffering but that we must also have the right legislative and regulatory controls in place to manage that access?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: The Government's position is that having observed nine years of nothing on this issue in the first 100 days the Government sought to change the law to enable a consideration by Parliament and that's happening as we speak. Hon Simon Bridges: Noting what the Prime Minister has said about members' bills will he be open to considering National's proposed medicinal cannabis scheme on its merits?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: The answer to that question is that if that was a sincere offer then prior to the bill being tabled that member—leading a party supposedly—would have offered us a chance of consultation. But no: after nine years of inertia and nothing he then turns up with a bill that may not be drawn.Hon Simon Bridges: Why does the Government's current Misuse of Drugs (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment Bill remain totally silent on how a medicinal cannabis regime would operate in practice essentially proposing to increase access now and leave it to officials to think through the controls and the consequences at a later time?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: The fact is that that bill will be reported back to Parliament and as he will know if he's observed the parliamentary process there may be changes there may be amendments there may be adaptations—Hon Simon Bridges: They won't have gone through select committee.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Well that member had members on the select committee. Why didn't you talk to them or is his party a leaderless rabble?Hon Simon Bridges: Does he believe that a medicinal cannabis scheme should have clear parameters and rules around who can buy and who can sell the products—parameters that are not included in the Government's proposal? [Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! There were four separate interjections from the Government benches then. I hesitate when we're discussing this topic to suggest methods of members calming down.Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: It would be good advice though Mr Speaker especially for the one that's asking the questions. Could I just say this though: the reality is this is a work in progress. We all know that. That's the form of democracy we have and this Government was so concerned to respond to a public desire for a change here that in the first 100 days of its coming to power it acted as against nine years of utter nothing.Hon Simon Bridges: In light of the Prime Minister's comment just then that the bill is a work in progress and given that it's just come back from select committee is he acknowledging that it's not fit for purpose and doesn't do what it needs to do?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: What this Government is saying is that unlike the previous Government we have not got a tin ear. We listen and whilst the bill's before this House we will be prepared to make changes if it's warranted and that party over there looking for an alternative leader can consult amongst themselves.Hon Simon Bridges: Does he expect terminally ill and chronically ill New Zealanders to only access the cannabis products they need legally through pharmacists?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Can I say that the members on this side will be taken by the degree of passion and deep feeling that that member is exhibiting today and we just wonder where it was the last nine years when he didn't raise a finger about people's pain and agony and suffering—not a mutter not a murmur not syllable not a sound until he lost power and now he wants to act.Hon Simon Bridges: Taking all of the issues with the Government bill into account I ask again: will he be open to considering National's proposed medicinal cannabis scheme on its merits?Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS: Can I tell that member that if he was sincere in that offer why did he not send me and my colleagues and my fellow MPs on this side of the House a copy of his legislation? Maybe he was embarrassed by what it said—maybe he was embarrassed by its content but he most definitely did not exhibit any political collegiality by sharing this wonderful bill he's got. [Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! Who was that? Withdraw and apologise.Clayton Mitchell: I withdraw and apologise.