9. Question No. 9—Prime MinisterHon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime MinisterQuestion No. 9—Prime Minister9. Hon PAULA BENNETT (Deputy Leader—National) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all her Government's statements policies and actions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes. Hon Paula Bennett: Does she believe drivers on our roads should be tested for drugs? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: We absolutely believe drug impairment is an issue that we need to address particularly to ensure that our roads are safe. In fact that's why within 10 months of coming into office we have agreed in principle that that reform needs to take place and we're consulting on specific changes to bring those changes about. I note that in 2014 National reviewed the drug-driving policy but they left office without implementing any reforms.Hon Paula Bennett: Why then when the driving consultation document was available in December 2017 has it taken 18 months for her Government to make a decision about going out for consultation? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: One of the issues of course has been making sure that we use the most effective testing possible to check not just the presence of drugs but the impairment that that then leads to. That has been a complex issue to work through. We are now consulting on specific changes. Again I'm not sure about the member asking that question when it took their Government five years and they did nothing.Hon Paula Bennett: Well on that then will the upcoming Budget have funding for police to enable them to test suspected drugged drivers? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Obviously when it comes to checking for impairment—which they already do—what we're talking about here is enhancing the tools that they have to check impairment. So they already do that and that is already funded out of their baselines. What we can say is that of course we do have additional police through the extra 700 that we're putting into the police. That makes it of course possible for them to undertake these kinds of initiatives which they already do; we just want them to do with a better evidence base. Hon Paula Bennett: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It was a very straight question sir which was: will the upcoming Budget have funding? I accept she may not want to answer it but she could just say that.SPEAKER: I think it's a long-term tradition in this House that people don't get specific Budget announcements—[Interruption] Mr McClay will stand withdraw and apologise.Hon Todd McClay: I withdraw and apologise.SPEAKER: People don't get specific Budget announcements unless the Prime Minister wants to make them and therefore I think the question was—I let it run but it might have been described as optimistic.Hon Paula Bennett: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. We've always been optimistic here in the Opposition and as such we do like putting questions to the Prime Minister and to other Ministers. As I say I quite accept that but it's also been the tradition that if they can't or don't want to answer then they would say that.Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Speaking to the point of order I believe that I addressed the question. Whilst I'm not going to make Budget announcements in this House I did draw the member's attention to the fact that police already undertake these kinds of roadside testing but just not with the specificity and evidence base that this House probably would want.Hon Paula Bennett: Has she seen evidence there will be fewer or more drugged drivers on our roads if recreational cannabis is legalised?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Actually this raises a really interesting point because we know at the moment that we have a problem in New Zealand actually with the issue of things like synthetic or designer drugs and even the most sophisticated roadside drug-screening devices cannot detect that. This is exactly why we've tried to undertake the work that we have. Look when it comes to the issue of recreational drug-use this is a question that we're putting to the members of the public. We do not have a Government policy on increasing access to cannabis as a recreational drug. Hon Paula Bennett: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was very straight as to has she seen evidence that there could be fewer or more. I got synthetics I got that the public will be making their minds up and not whether or not she has seen evidence.SPEAKER: Yeah I will ask the Prime Minister to—Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I'm happy to clarify again for the member: this is not Government policy. So therefore I wouldn't seek advice on something—this is not a Government policy—that we do not have a Government policy on.