Brown SimeonPSYCHOACTIVE SUBSTANCES (INCREASING PENALTY FOR SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION) AMENDMENT BILLSecond ReadingSIMEON BROWN (National—Pakuranga): I move That the Psychoactive Substances (Increasing Penalty for Supply and Distribution) Amendment Bill be now read a second time.Over the past eight months since my bill was drawn I have been struck afresh with the urgency and importance of this issue. I want to start by thanking the Justice Committee and their diligence in addressing this bill listening to the variety of submitters who appeared before it and reporting it back to the House. I would also like to thank New Zealand First for their support in getting it to this stage.During this time I have also met with experts across numerous fields—experts in toxicology and public policy social workers and police officers—as well as talking with family members of those who have lost their lives from these horrific drugs. Despite the variety of perspectives each has been personally affected by psychoactive substances here in New Zealand. The toxicologists have seen their A & Es filled with zombified patients the public policy experts have grappled with the insufficiency of our legal framework the social workers have comforted the whānau bereaved by the loss of a loved one and the police have encountered the panic of teenagers and young adults trying to help their unconscious friends. These Kiwis have experienced first-hand the destructive effect psychoactive substances have in our community. All of them agree that disrupting supply is a critical component of our response to this issue. That is precisely what my bill does.More than 45 New Zealanders have died over the past 12 months from consuming these drugs a number of them since the first reading of my bill. In the face of this tragedy it is easy to throw our hands in the air and to cry out that taking a law and order approach to this issue is not working. It is time some may claim for a different approach. It is time to treat this solely as a health issue. I sympathise with this argument.We will never eliminate the harm these drugs cause by solely looking at this issue from the perspective of law and order. As a Parliament we have to acknowledge that more needs to be done to support those suffering from addictions. That is why earlier this year I lodged a petition calling for a parliamentary inquiry into addiction to synthetics so that our health system can be better prepared and equipped to help those trapped in the deadly cycle of addiction. The Government has ignored this petition which would've allowed a public inquiry into how we could address this serious issue frustratingly.However this is not solely a health issue; it never has been. The bill before the House this evening does not target users of drugs but those who supply these substances those who think only of personal profit taking advantage of vulnerable Kiwis. Fortunately we don't have to just take one option or the other but can compassionately care for the health needs of drug users while at the same time insisting that those who seek to make money off the suffering and death of others deserve to be punished for their callous indifference.This bill addresses supply. Let me say that again: this bill addresses the supply of drugs not the suppliers of drugs not the users. By taking a clear stance against the distribution of these drugs by increasing the penalties for dealing bringing them into line with class C drugs and working with New Zealand First on their Supplementary Order Paper 23 we will be deterring the suppliers of these drugs. Those who are supplying drugs are not the victims of the suffering caused by drugs; they are the perpetrators of this devastating harm. We are acting irresponsibly and negligently if as legislators of this country we do not condemn through law the distribution of these drugs with harsher penalties than the paltry sentences that are currently in place.I want to make one thing very clear: this bill will not be the final solution to this problem that grips New Zealand. The harm caused by psychoactive substances is a complicated multifaceted issue and additional strategies and legislation will certainly be needed but these additional approaches must complement a decisive condemnation of distributing these substances not undermine it.Through the process of advancing this legislation I've had the privilege of working with Lewis Jones who joins us in the gallery here tonight.SPEAKER: Order!SIMEON BROWN: Lewis is the father of Calum Jones a young man who died due to an overdose of synthetic drugs in September last year. I think the greatest tragedy of Jones' story is that he was going clean. Jones had spent weeks in rehab and was sober but because of how easy it is to get these drugs within days of leaving rehab he was dead and the perpetrator when caught and sentenced was given only home detention.Underlining our justice system is a duty first and foremost to victims. For one person to take advantage of a vulnerable person for the sake of profit is a crime which demands justice. We must deter those supplying these drugs and those who might choose to supply these drugs because of the incredibly low penalties for doing so.The Minister of Health has recently announced his intent to reclassify two strands of psychoactive substances as class A drugs. This is a positive and necessary measure but it's ultimately insufficient. Every batch of psychoactive substances is chemically different and it is easy for manufacturers to simply change their recipes to avoid longer sentences. This bill however by amending the Psychoactive Substance Act ensures that a consistent penalty is applied to those who supply any and all chemical compounds which make up psychoactive substances. If the Government only opts for classifying substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act they will always be playing catch-up.While the public of New Zealand is waking up to the harms of synthetics there is without a doubt a culture of treating synthetics as a mild and safe drug. As submitters argued if the dealers of synthetic drugs receive a maximum of two years' imprisonment and the dealers of herbal cannabis can receive at least eight years the public will be under the impression that synthetic drugs are not taken seriously.I challenge every member of this House to consider the harm that has been caused to our communities through psychoactive substances and to support this bill in addressing the distribution side of this issue. I do not stand here and claim that this bill is a solution to the entire issue but likewise we are foolish and derelict in our responsibilities if we believe that a lack of healthcare and counselling is what leads someone to go into their communities and sell drugs that they know will kill. We must take a compassionate approach but it is not compassionate to those who prey on vulnerable people and have unfettered access to them—it is not compassionate to let them continue to do that. If a health-based approach means letting criminals poison our young people and they receive home detention we need to rethink our perceptions of justice.This bill is a much-needed response to this issue. It is consistent with a compassionate yet decisive approach and is necessary to address the changing environment of psychoactive substances. I commend this bill to the House.