Macindoe TimHon TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West): Kia orana Madam Assistant Speaker. There is so much that I disagree with as I've listened to the previous speaker Chlöe Swarbrick deliver in a very articulate and passionate fashion what I believe to be a fundamentally naive and misguided retort. But I simply ask her this: how many lives have to end?Chlöe Swarbrick: Don't you dare. Don't you dare.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Order!Hon TIM MACINDOE: How many young people have to suffer—Chlöe Swarbrick: Before we do what works?ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Order!Hon TIM MACINDOE: How many young people have to suffer the dreadful destruction—Chlöe Swarbrick: You're despicable.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Order!Hon TIM MACINDOE: I am not despicable Miss Swarbrick. I'm asking—ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Order! I apologise to the member. I just want to call order. I called order when the previous speaker was being—there were interjections. So I would just ask for the same respect. This is a highly charged piece of legislation and I know that emotions are running high. I just ask that we just come back into this place with some respect for those who are affected by this.Hon TIM MACINDOE: Absolutely. And it is out of respect for those families who have been utterly devastated by the consequences of this dreadful regime that we have at the moment that leads me to stand in support tonight of the measure that is being put forward by my colleague Simeon Brown the MP for Pakuranga. I want to commend him for his initiative in bringing this bill forward for his compassion but in particular—and I hope the member who has been criticising me and firing abuse at me is listening now—I want to commend his speech to her. It was measured it was balanced it was health- and evidence-based as much as it was sanctions-based and I wonder if she even did him the courtesy of listening to it. I am very disappointed to hear that members of the Labour and Green parties will not support this bill and I echo the concerns of the Hon Dr Nick Smith when he spoke earlier.The sponsor of this bill has not claimed that this is a cure-all measure. He has not claimed that all of the problems that he's trying to tackle will go away as a consequence of it. I didn't have the opportunity to hear the submissions because I am not on the Justice Committee but I do remember being a member of this House back in 2013 when MPs legislated on the strong advice at the time of the police and the health authorities the Psychoactive Substances Bill of that time—Chlöe Swarbrick: And then you removed the interim.Hon TIM MACINDOE: —and we got caned for it.ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Poto Williams): Order! Don't bring the Speaker into the debate.Hon TIM MACINDOE: We got caned for it. In our electorates I remember some of the most uncomfortable meetings I've ever been to as a constituency MP with those in my electorate and hearing from my colleagues around the country as the public said This is fundamentally flawed legislation."Synthetic drugs are highly addictive and extraordinarily dangerous. Accepting them from a dodgy supplier is akin to playing Russian roulette. My heart goes out to the victims of these drugs as I'm sure all members would feel. As a parent I can only imagine the anguish and the heartbreak of seeing a talented child of mine—or any talented youngster—succumb to the evil manipulation and callousness of those who peddle these substances. And the problem in what we heard previously is that it was not focusing on those who are peddling the drugs but that's what this bill is about. It is not about saying that somehow we're going to cure all the problems of the victims; it's about saying "We must focus on those evil cynical manipulative devious life-destroying people who peddle these ghastly products."Increasing the penalties in itself will not stamp out all the problems; we know that. But for Labour and the Green MPs to suggest that tougher penalties will make no difference is fanciful and it shows a heartless indifference to the suffering of all who are victims either as naive purchasers or addicts or the family and friends of those victims. And I cannot understand or find any sympathy for those who are indifferent to their plight. So tonight in the short time I have available I'd like to commend Darroch Ball and the New Zealand First Party. I don't often do that but I thought that was a fine contribution from Mr Ball and I thank him for supporting this measure and for the reasons that he outlined in doing that. I believe that New Zealanders will thank them for doing that. I believe that New Zealanders will thank this Parliament for taking this measure. I am absolutely confident that the families of the victims will thank us for passing this measure.Just in the last year 45 people have died after consuming psychoactive substance and for the victims I feel nothing but sympathy—that is a health issue—but for those who peddle these substances I have nothing but contempt and we must throw the book at them."