Gallagher Martin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Gallagher Martin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:612;Page:8970] 
10.  
MARTIN GALLAGHER (NZ Labour—Hamilton West) 
 to the  
Minister of Customs 
: Has he any evidence that shows that increased resourcing of border agencies is helping reduce the quantities of illegal drugs from entering New Zealand? 
Hon RICK BARKER (Minister of Customs) 
: 
 I am pleased to report that the New Zealand Customs Service recently made this country’s second-largest seizure of a class A drug cocaine at Auckland International Airport. Customs officers seized approximately 7 kilos of the drug with an estimated street value of $10 million from a 40-year-old South African man who carried the drugs through customs and was arrested. The courier is believed to have come from Santiago Chile through Papeete and Rarotonga and was on his way we think to Australia. 
Martin Gallagher 
: What are the most significant border drug challenges facing the New Zealand Government? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is wide of the primary question but the Minister can comment briefly. 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: I can answer it in one word: methamphetamine. The customs agency with other agencies is addressing this nationwide problem which is an evil drug. We are taking a whole-of-Government approach with the Ministerial Action Committee on Drug Policy. We have asked that committee to provide a customs report for us on what it can do to hasten the process. With regard to methamphetamine this year in respect of ephedrine and precursors we have seized 623000 tablets which is up on the 32000 tablets seized last year. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is sufficient. 
Hon Matt Robson 
: How will the classification of pseudoephedrine as a class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act as announced yesterday by the Associate Minister of Health the Hon Jim Anderton help customs and police in their fight against methamphetamine? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: The change in the classification will better equip customs and police to deter would-be importers of a major ingredient in the manufacture of methamphetamine because the penalties for unlicensed imports will increase from a maximum of $500 or 3 months’ imprisonment to a maximum sentence of 8 years. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: When will the Minister and the Government close the legal loophole that has allowed at least four million pseudoephedrine-based tablets to be lawfully imported into New Zealand for manufacture into methamphetamine—imported by people supplying fake names and addresses—considering that the Minister was first alerted to this tidal wave of imported drugs over 6 months ago? 
Hon RICK BARKER 
: I am pleased to be able to tell the member that this Government has committed an extra $1.9 million to help boost drugs officers. We are cracking down on the border to make sure that we have sufficient control of the imports coming through and the ability to identify these drugs coming in. We are also looking at all the other legal loopholes. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I ask you to reflect on what I asked. I asked a question about when the Government was going to change the law. The Minister gave an answer as relevant as if he had stood up and said “rhubarb”. Is that addressing the question? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No in the very last sentence he said: “We are looking at all the loopholes involved.” I thought that was addressing the question.