O'Connor Damien: Motions — Misuse of Drugs (Changes to Controlled Drugs) Order 2003 
O'Connor Damien: Motions — Misuse of Drugs (Changes to Controlled Drugs) Order 2003 
[Volume:608;Page:5662] 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Associate Minister of Health) 
 on behalf of the 
 Associate Minister of Health 
Hon Jim Anderton 
: I move  
That pursuant to section 4A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 this House approve the Misuse of Drugs (Changes to Controlled Drugs) Order 2003 (SR 2003/47) made under section 4 of that Act 
. This order demonstrates this Government’s commitment to a national drug policy that targets drug use in three ways: firstly through supply control secondly through demand reduction and thirdly through problem limitation. 
Methamphetamine is a significant issue in many parts of New Zealand and methcathinone may soon become a significant issue. This order will lay the foundations for the Government’s response to those drugs. Firstly it will send a message to society that they are dangerous drugs and that they are unacceptable. Secondly it will give enforcement agencies the legislative tools with which to combat those drugs and it will also place a higher priority on them. Thirdly it will provide the basis for the efforts of Government agencies to address the health and social issues arising from the use of methamphetamine and the potential use of methcathinone. 
This order will make the substances methcathinone 4-MTA pemoline and aminorex controlled drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Act and will reclassify methamphetamine from a class B2 to a class A drug in order to better reflect its level of harm to New Zealanders. It will make it illegal for people to possess manufacture supply or import methcathinone 4-MTA pemoline and aminorex. The reclassification of methamphetamine will increase the penalties for suppliers and manufacturers. It will give the substance a higher priority for enforcement agencies and will send a message to New Zealanders that it is a dangerous and an undesirable substance. 
My colleague Mr Anderton would like to thank the Expert Advisory Committee on Drugs for its examination of the evidence on those drugs and its recommendations to us on their appropriate classification. Mr Anderton and the Government would also like to thank the Health Committee for its consideration of the order. 
This order is not alone in the Government’s efforts to control dangerous drugs. It is part of a broader framework of Government efforts to control and minimise the supply of those drugs to reduce the demand for them and to limit the problems that arise from their use in New Zealand. There is already a significant Government effort to address the harms that methamphetamine is causing in our communities. Just last month we announced Budget funding for a range of community action programmes shown by evidence to be effective in building resilience in communities and in individuals. Those programmes will help our communities to address their methamphetamine-related problems. Along with those programmes my colleagues announced funding for a drug-treatment facility in Christchurch to provide early intervention for young people who are turning up in the youth drug court system. That will allow for appropriate treatment interventions to be provided for young methamphetamine users in their own communities. 
We also announced the provision of a further intelligence analyst for the National Drug Intelligence Bureau. That will improve the information and intelligence that the enforcement education and health agencies will have access to and will allow them to improve the action that the Government is able to take to address methamphetamine issues. 
I strongly endorse this order. I hope to see it come into force soon so as to complement the other efforts that are currently being put in place. I look forward to full support for the order from other parties in the House.