Hughes GarethGARETH HUGHES (Green): The last member Tim Macindoe was admirable in going the full 10 minutes but I've got to take umbrage at the last statement that hard drug dealers should be treated the same as murderers. It's the same tough on drugs tough on crime soft on the causes of crime approach which for decades has failed us which for decades has seen high incarceration rates but actually more damage more harm in our communities. It's failed—the evidence is clear—but when it comes to what's happening in international waters it's clear that there's a legislative gap in the system.There are various international conventions from UNCLOS—the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea—through to the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. But the issue of course is that while we try and interdict drug suppliers coming into New Zealand or less likely being exported from New Zealand there are some legal grey areas regarding those international conventions. That's why the Green Party supports this legislation which is essentially modernising harmonising and cleaning up our interdiction powers under both the Customs and Excise Act 2018 and the Misuse of Drugs Act to modernise those two laws.What it does essentially is—there's been this gap when it comes to what's happening in the international waters. In the territorial sea New Zealand legislation applies—that's out to 12 nautical miles. What happens out on the international waters has been subject to some pretty onerous provisions including trying to contact the flag State of the ship where you want to interdict or suspect there are drugs on it and try and get approval since it's that flag State that has responsibility over that vessel. Equally so the New Zealand Government has the responsibility for New Zealand - flagged vessels but given that there are so many foreign-flagged vessels in the Pacific in our neighbourhood—many of these ships carry flags of convenience or can switch between countries with more convenient registration laws—it has been very difficult for the Government.For anyone watching who may not think drugs coming into New Zealand is a problem at all when you just look at what I understand we've seen interdicted in New Zealand's close neighbourhood—this is between New Caledonia Australia and French Polynesia—we saw in 2017 237 kilograms of cocaine seized; on 27 July 2017 1.4 tonnes of cocaine on a yacht off the coast of Tonga; on 12 June this year I believe 501 kilograms of methamphetamine; in February 2017 1.4 tonnes of cocaine in the Tasman Sea from a yacht. We also see multiple tonnes and hundreds of kilograms of drugs being seized. What we want to make sure is that while there's work to do the research to find potential suspects—there has been this legislative gap. So that's why we're very happy to support it.As the last member pointed out there were only three submissions to the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee—pretty resounding support amongst those three—but it's important that we do modernise our rules. But I would just urge this House that while we're dealing with the gaps in our international regime let's also fix the very clear and present gaps in our domestic regime. I respect the previous member highly but there is this I believe misguided sense—and when you look at the evidence it is misguided—that being tough on all drugs is the way to stop those worst most pernicious drugs which reach our communities.There was a sense that cannabis for example was a gateway drug—DEPUTY SPEAKER: Speak to the bill. GARETH HUGHES: —but what we do know is that while this legislation covers drugs such as cannabis—and we know that domestically in New Zealand $200 million per annum is spent on cannabis enforcement and that's both in terms of surveillance and disruption of the courts and justice system—it's not a gateway drug to those heavier drugs. In fact what we know is the legal system that we force our young people and particularly young Māori—DEPUTY SPEAKER: Will the member speak to the bill. Just mentioning cannabis in relation to the bill isn't enough to focus on what this bill is about. GARETH HUGHES: Thank you Madam Deputy Speaker. I was just trying to make the point that we need to make sure that while we're using an evidence-based system internationally we should do it domestically and we're going to have a great opportunity before the next election. But look this is good modernised legislation. We're glad it's been modified and improved marginally in the select committee. It is good legislation that the Green Party is happy to support. Kia ora koutou.