11. Question No. 11—TransportHon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Associate Minister of TransportQuestion No. 11—Transport11. Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) to the Associate Minister of Transport: Has she seen the reports from Police in Northland that more than a third of those who have died on Northland roads this year tested positive for drugs and that the numbers are double that for 2017 and 2018; if so will she support the urgent introduction of random roadside oral fluid drug testing as recommended by the Ministry of Transport?Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER (Associate Minister of Transport): I understand that police have recently reported that five of the 10 drivers killed in Northland this year who have been blood tested had drugs in their system. It's obviously too early in the year to draw firm conclusions about the trends in road deaths in Northland. The member will be aware that the number of deceased drivers with drugs or medication in their system decreased from 2017 to 2018 in Northland and across the country. Nevertheless I acknowledge that drug-impaired driving is a significant road safety issue. That's why this Government is consulting on an enhanced drug-driving testing approach so that we can test and enforce appropriately. That consultation period will close on 28 June this year. The Government will look to confirm its options later this year.Hon Dr Nick Smith: Does she stand by her interjection yesterday We will save more lives"; if so why has she for 20 months rejected the advice of transport and police officials to introduce random roadside drug-testing during which time 100 New Zealanders have died as a consequence of drug-impaired drivers? Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: I stand by my interjection yesterday and I reject the assertion from that member that I've rejected any advice from police or Ministry of Transport officials. The facts are that under nine years National did nothing on drug testing drivers. This Government is doing the consultation so that we can resolve the complex policy issues so that we can have an enhanced regime. More to the point this Government has increased the number of road policing officers that are out there on the roads right now which declined significantly under the last three years of National. There are 111 more police officers on the road thanks to this Government making road safety a priority and putting our money behind that. Hon Dr Nick Smith: What did she mean in February 2018 when she stated that she was unimpressed by transport and police officials' advice to introduce random roadside drug-testing?Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: I have not changed my position. We all know that there are complexities with introducing roadside saliva-testing. They can be mitigated and that's why we're doing the consultation and the policy work. I suppose those complexities are the reason why three associate transport Ministers under National declined to take any action on drug testing drivers when National was in Government.Hon Dr Nick Smith: How many more tragic deaths do we need from drug-drivers for her to accept the advice of police and transport officials to urgently introduce roadside drug-testing? SPEAKER: Just before we go there I didn't hear an interjection from this side; was there one which led to Mr Goldsmith's? Hon Grant Robertson: There was an exchange. SPEAKER: Well we'll scrub what I've just said then. Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: Again I reject the assertion the member is making that I'm rejecting advice. We're taking action on enhanced drug testing of drivers. We want an effective regime that is going to reduce harm on our roads. What that last Government did—not taking action on drug testing drivers reducing the number of road police on the roads reducing the amount of money available for road safety improvements right across the country—has all led to this situation that we are now facing. It will take a few years for this Government to make the progress that we are absolutely committed to in terms of reducing deaths and serious injuries on our roads.Hon Dr Nick Smith: What representations has she made as road safety Minister opposing the legalisation of cannabis given her goal of a zero road toll and the scientific evidence from overseas jurisdictions that legalising cannabis results in more road accidents and more road fatalities? Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: The evidence from overseas jurisdictions is mixed. What we're doing is improving the safety of our roads. We've increased the number of road police on the roads and we're looking at an enhanced drug-testing regime so that we can improve enforcement of impaired driving; that is vitally important. I think a harm-minimisation approach to drugs and an evidence-based approach to road safety is going to lead to the best outcome because under nine years of that Government drug use was going up harm from it was going up and road deaths were going up.Chlöe Swarbrick: Does the Minister think that gangs or the Government is better placed to regulate and minimise the harm of drugs on our roads? SPEAKER: Order! That's just getting too far away from the substantive question. Hon Dr Nick Smith: I seek leave to table the advice provided to the Minister on 7 November 2017 from the Ministry of Transport recommending the introduction of roadside drug-testing that she rejected 20 months ago.SPEAKER: The source—the source?Hon Dr Nick Smith: There's an Official Information Act request received by National on the advice from the Minister of Transport to the Minister.SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that being tabled? There appears to be none.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Stuart Nash: Is she aware that under the last Government road policing numbers were cut—Hon Dr Nick Smith: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker you've just made reference in response to my colleague David Seymour that questions deliberately set up to criticise the previous Government or the National Party are inappropriate and that's exactly where the Minister is going.SPEAKER: Well maybe if we have a question I can make a judgment on it rather than have it rudely interrupted the way the member just did.Hon Stuart Nash: Thank you Mr Speaker. Is the Minister aware that under the last Government road policing numbers were cut by 111 and it wasn't until July 2018 that road policing numbers were once again up to full muster?Hon JULIE ANNE GENTER: Yes that's exactly correct.Hon Dr Nick Smith: How's that within the grounds of the question?SPEAKER: Sorry? Because—just to make it absolutely clear—the member got it in order at the end. It took him a while but he got it into order."