Clark DavidHon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health): I do want to make a number of acknowledgements as I make my contribution the last speech in this final reading of this important bill going through the House but I have to observe at the outset that the folks sitting opposite the National Party seem to have more positions on this bill than the entire Kama Sutra. They say it goes too fast they say it goes too slow they say they support the therapeutic approach they say they support the justice approach—and that is just Simeon Brown and Matt Doocey. Then we have also Paula Bennett supporting a health-based approach.I do note that through all of the speeches the only thing that has consistently united them is opposition. They want to say no—they want to say no. They say they support the approach—I heard just about all of them say they support the approach—but they couldn't bring themselves to vote in support of this bill to support it through its final stage. I do plead with them though—Brett Hudson said he came here with regrets. There is one way to undo those regrets and that is to actually turn around and support this bill through its final reading. They've been tying themselves in knots just to be negative. The Kama Sutra is perhaps a more beautiful thing than these knots and I do apologise to any proponents of that particular craft in the House for making that analogy. But they seem determined to chase every parking car and it is a shame because what we are doing tonight is an incredibly constructive and useful thing.This is something that will make a real difference to the lives of New Zealanders and it's born out of a deep concern for the spate of deaths that occurred in 2017 and 2018. This Government committed to responding to that situation to taking a constructive approach to putting together some law that would deal with the immediate drugs that had been linked to those deaths that would ensure that in future we were able to respond more quickly to new drugs as they came on the market to keep Kiwis safe and to make sure that we also went after those who are peddling these drugs those who would profit from the misery of others those who would manufacture these drugs. I want to acknowledge therefore the confidence and supply party the Green Party and our coalition partners in New Zealand First—Jenny Marcroft Darroch Ball and Chlöe Swarbrick; all of them—for the incredibly constructive way in which we have worked together as parties and my Labour colleagues to ensure we have a law that strikes the right balance that makes sure we're tackling the long-term issues that come with the web of addiction in our country those long-term issues. We are determined to tackle the hard problems to make sure we are making a difference in the lives of New Zealanders that have come together to put this solution together.Under existing law these synthetic drugs had continued to come in and kill people and here we have a response which not only says we want to crack down on the suppliers and manufacturers by giving the police the search and seizure powers by making sure they face the full force of the law but also a law that says we want to take a health-based approach because that's an evidence-based approach where it's in the public interest where it's clear that somebody being supported in the web of addiction to break that addiction will make a difference to the community longer term. So we are tackling those harder issues and looking at how we achieve balance in doing that because the existing approach just has not been working. It simply has not been working.The discretion that the police have is one that they are using already. We know that—we know that. We are reinforcing that. We are giving them the support to continue along that road to make sure that they are basing things upon evidence basing things upon what works—because parts of the country are ahead of other parts of the country. There will be clear guidance issued tailored guidance to front-line officers on how to apply this discretion from the police commissioner. The police have helped and assisted in making sure these changes will work for them and they are committed to tackling unconscious bias in the police force. I salute I want to say the leaders in the police who are leading that work because it is incredibly important work that we do tackle that long-term challenge as well.I want to just say briefly about the temporary class drug orders they will apply for 12 months at a time and they will give the health Minister whoever that should be the opportunity very quickly to put an order in place that gives police the search and seizure powers—all of the powers they have for a class C drug currently. It means that we can tackle the supply very quickly when a new alarming drug comes on board. Not only has the Government put money aside for early warning system development to make sure we've got a swift health response but we're also giving the police extra powers for a swift police response. Both of these things are part of a health-based response: making sure we're interrupting supply but making sure we're helping those caught in the web of addiction.We are making class A drugs of AMB-FUBINACA and 5F-ADB—we are making them class A drugs. That is incredibly important. Some of the members opposite said Why are we doing it this way? Why aren't we doing it through a straight Order in Council?" Those members may not have heard in the various stages of this debate but it's been spelt out clearly that that is of course because an Order in Council itself takes time. It must go through a select committee process. Sometimes those processes take up to a year. We are giving this certainty through the passing of legislation. We also know of course that these particular variants don't seem to be featuring as much. People are now much more aware of them and we no doubt have other variants coming into the country. But we have now as of today when this law passes the ability to issue temporary drug orders to tackle that issue.We are serious on this side of the House not just about the rhetoric—and we have heard plenty of that in this debate. We are serious about making a difference for those people who are suffering who are caught in the web of addiction and who have through unfortunate circumstances come to depend upon things which are just not good for them or their families. Many of them of course have tried and failed to give up. But when they come to the attention of the police they won't be laughing at the police as some of the National Party members suggested because they will now have come to the attention of the police. The police will have a record of that interaction. They will then offer the health-based approach if that is what's in the public interest and then those people will be supported to help break that addiction. Of course if that doesn't happen—if that doesn't come to pass—and those people go on to be troublesome and create a public interest in prosecuting them well of course the police retain that power. So please do not listen to the scaremongers here. Please those of you listening at home know that we are tackling this on the basis of what works—what's been shown to work internationally. This is a pragmatic focused Government wanting to make a real difference for New Zealanders for those caught in the web of addiction tackling the big hard long-term challenges that have been left to us. We are putting resource into making sure we're supporting. Mr Doocey asked: will there be timely support for addicts? That is one of the challenges we've inherited as a Government.We know—we knew from Opposition—that there were huge waits for mental health and addiction counselling in this country. In this recent Budget we have put in a large number of initiatives to support that of course starting with the increase in the ring-fence for mental health and addiction funding—$213 million in this Budget; $200 million in the previous Budget—the additional $200 million that we put aside for new mental health and addiction facilities this year alone this year alone; the expansion of programmes for drug addiction support; $42 million to enhance the quality and capacity of specialist addiction support alcohol and drug addiction support; $4 million to extend Te Ara Oranga specialist service in Northland; and $7 million to expand specialist pregnancy and parenting support for those people who have addiction issues. There are a large number of measures but time will not permit me to go through them. But that's part of the $1.9 billion package that we've put in place.This Government is the first Government to take mental health seriously. We're taking mental health seriously and we are investing in this response. It will take time of course to build up the workforces needed to do everything we want to achieve. We don't shy away from the fact it's going to take more than one or two Budgets to put right nine years of neglect from the previous Government that neglected our health services and that neglected our addiction services and the inequities that were growing under them. But we're determined to tackle it. We don't shy away from it. We tackle that challenge we own that challenge and we are moving into the future with confidence because we've taken an approach that will make sure we're getting tough on those who are supplying peddling and manufacturing these harmful drugs but being compassionate to those who would benefit from a health-based response to ensure that our communities are healed. This is an incredibly important day for New Zealand. I'm very proud to stand here in this House and see this bill through its final reading. Thank you to everyone who has contributed so constructively across our confidence and supply partners and coalition partners and of course my Labour colleagues. Thank you Mr Speaker."