Mark Ron: Sports Anti-Doping Bill — In Committee 
Mark Ron: Sports Anti-Doping Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:634;Page:5981] 
RON MARK (NZ First) 
: 
 I was not considering taking a call but since the point has been raised by the honourable Sandra Goudie—[ 
Interruption 
] All members are honourable and some are more honourable than others I guess. I have listened to Ms Goudie’s comments regarding the Government Administration Committee’s majority decision not to require mandatory reporting to the police and the question I asked in the second reading is still left unanswered. Given that there are only six members on the committee—Mr Ardern Mr Robertson Mr Connell Mr Fairbrother Sandra Goudie and Dover Samuels; three Labour members and three National members—how is it that we did not get a unanimous decision that there not be mandatory reporting? Clearly someone in the National Party and I am assuming it was the National Party said: “By Jove! We should have mandatory reporting.” Clearly that person stood out on his or her own otherwise this report on page 2 paragraph 5— 
Sandra Goudie 
: Yes I said that. Read the  
Hansard 
. 
RON MARK 
: I say to Ms Goudie that she has had two calls and now she is trying to get a third by interjection. It sounds to me like she could be on some sort of performance-enhancing drug—but obviously not! Maybe she needs it. That paragraph if one cares to read it and I assume that one’s brain has not been addled by performance-enhancing drugs says: “The majority of the committee are satisfied …”. To get a majority on a committee that is split three to three between National and Labour someone in National had to agree and someone had to disagree. I know hardened law-abiding citizens who stand up for zero tolerance when I see them and my gut tells me Shane Ardern is one and Brian Connell is one. But I have a sneaking suspicion that up there in the Coromandel National has a slightly different view of life. 
It is possible that Sandra Goudie’s attempts to mitigate her vote with Labour is now what we are hearing. If Sandra Goudie did not vote and become one of the majority who oppose mandatory reporting to the police of athletes who use illegal substances—[ 
Interruption 
] She does not want to say. Maybe she should say. Maybe she should be clear and say: “I’m the odd person out in the National Party caucus. I come from the Coromandel and I have a different view of drugs.” I tell Sandra to just say it be happy with it because Labour agrees with her. 
Hon Member 
: Coromandel green. 
RON MARK 
: See Labour agrees with Sandra Goudie. But clearly I might be wrong so I am looking to hear someone clarify the situation for me. But my gut tells me and New Zealand First that Shane Ardern and Brian Connell do believe in zero tolerance for drug cheats they do believe in zero tolerance for people who enhance their performance with illegal drugs and that those members would be the types of people who would want to see a bodybuilder nabbed at the earliest instance and reported to the police for using illegal drugs not to have him pop up later as some P-crazed P dealer as was the case. 
Our argument would be to go for mandatory reporting because in that way we can nip it in the bud. That is zero tolerance. If one waits for the system to take its course one ends up with the situation we have just seen go through the courts. A bodybuilder in a sport that is riddled with drug abuse has finally been imprisoned for P dealing. He admitted to the use of anabolic steroids. If he had been picked up in the early stages and potted to the police right at the earliest instance one could argue—if those facts reported in the newspaper are true—that he would not have gone on to be involved in the criminal fraternity dealing with P as he subsequently was. We do believe in zero tolerance. We would say that the only regret is that the decision not to have mandatory reporting was upheld.