Carter John: Motions — Misuse of Drugs (Changes to Controlled Drugs) Order 2003 
Carter John: Motions — Misuse of Drugs (Changes to Controlled Drugs) Order 2003 
[Volume:608;Page:5674] 
JOHN CARTER (NZ National—Northland) 
: 
 I guess I am disappointed that Parliament will not be supporting this motion unanimously because it is a motion that we should all agree with. I will tell the House of some of the impacts that this drug is having in Northland. I hope that members will listen with seriousness to what I have to say because they will be as astonished as I was when I was told of what is already happening in our country in areas like Northland. 
Before I get on to the details of the impact in an area like Northland I want to make this point. The other day I was at a meeting of Northland leaders and a number of members from across most parties in this House were also at the meeting. One of the points that was made by some of the police who were there related to a case where people who were making methamphetamine were found in a motel and the police had wanted to go and arrest those people. The situation had been reported to the police and they wanted to go and investigate and go through the procedures so that they could deal with it. By the time they had gone through the process of getting the search warrant those people had gone. As a consequence they were not able to capture those people who were making methamphetamine. 
Firstly regardless of what anyone else says the fact that we pass this motion today will give the police that power so that those people who are involved in making this illegal drug will be at greater risk of being captured. I have to say that the arrest of each and every person who is developing this drug will be a good thing for our young people. The less of this drug on the streets the better. Everybody in this House should support this motion just for that reason if for no other reason. The other thing people are saying is that this measure will not be a deterrent. As I understand it this measure allows for the seizure of property bought from the proceeds of sales. It means that property can be confiscated. There will be a lot of people who will think about that aspect once we pass this motion. I agree that we should put an emphasis on education—and we are. We are doing our best as a nation. In places like Northland we have drug education—we are doing a whole raft of different things but it is not enough by itself. Sadly it is not working by itself. Of course we want to put an emphasis on education. The best defence against drugs is to tell young people of the impact of drugs. Telling them about that encourages them not to participate but sadly it does not always work and that brings me to the next point I want to make. 
I want members in the House to listen to some of the statistics I will give as to what is happening in Northland. I had a meeting some 6 months ago with over 40 people involved in social work. Those people were nurses counsellors people from maraes and police—a whole spectrum of people. I suggest that Nandor Tanczos who is on his feet talking to someone sit and listen to this. He would be astonished—if he cared to listen instead of shaking his head. I cannot interrupt him to get him to listen but I would certainly like him to listen. I had a meeting with a mix of 40 people who came from Kawakawa north right up to the Cape. Those people are involved in this area through social work or because they are Plunket nurses and so on—the lot; across the spectrum of Northland. They are the people whom one would go to if one wanted to find out what the social atmosphere was like in Northland. One or two of them came to me and said “Look can we meet you? We have some information that we need to give you about what is happening in Northland with drugs.” They told me about the fact that marijuana has basically become a secondary drug in Northland. In fact it has got to the stage where it is now losing its value because methamphetamine has taken over as the prime drug in Northland. 
Four years ago there were no arrests for homebake—the making of methamphetamine. Last year I understand that in excess of 30 people were arrested for making methamphetamine in Northland. What does concern me are the statistics I was given by the people at that meeting. What is starting to happen is that young people—particularly teenagers; mainly girls but sometimes boys—as young as intermediate age are starting to prostitute themselves for drugs. What is happening now is that men from Auckland and Whangarei are driving north during the day and the night asking those young children whether they would like some cash so they can avail themselves of some drugs or offering them drugs—and the payback of course is prostitution. That is starting to happen. I want the House to know that it is estimated by those at that meeting that upward of 20 percent of young people of intermediate and secondary age could be on drugs and prostituting themselves for drugs—20 percent of our young people in the mid and far north! It is a serious serious problem. It is absolute tragedy. I was astonished to be told by the people at the meeting—again it is their estimation—that in parts of Northland up to 40 percent of households are now involved with drugs or have an association with people who are involved with drugs. That is a tragedy. I was told that north of Kaitaia on the peninsula it is estimated that about 90 percent of households are involved with drugs or have an association with someone who is involved with drugs. 
This issue has become a serious serious issue for Northlanders and for New Zealand. Those young people are our future but they are not being given an opportunity to have a future. The opportunity is being taken away from them because of that drug and its availability. For those people who do not know about the impact of methamphetamine or P as it is called I point out that that one will probably be addicted after three good shots at it—that is what I am told by the people who know about these things. That addiction can last for a lifetime and we have heard tonight some of the impacts. I have seen one or two of the impacts myself. It is an absolute tragedy. I have been rung by people with young grandchildren. I refer to one case—that of a young girl who had a bright bright future and was doing particularly well at her school. Within 6 months she had totally changed. She is now not the same person. I say to the House that if members do not believe that they should give me a call and I will happily take them to Northland and show them some of the impacts that that drug is having. In the end we will be affected right across this nation. 
I say to the House that we should all be supporting this motion. We should all be taking this issue seriously because it is probably one of the most serious issues that we as a Parliament and a country will have to face in the future as we try to prevent the impact of that drug on our society and particularly on our young people. I urge the House and the Green Party in particular to support this motion because of the impact that that drug is having. I urge us all to support it.