King Annette: Psychoactive Substances Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKing Annette: Psychoactive Substances Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 09 April 2013. Volume:689;Page:9151. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon ANNETTE KING (Labour—Rongotai): We have learnt today that there is a report-back date from the Health Committee in 2 months’ time—the Psychoactive Substances Bill needs to be back before August. We understand that and you have heard from my colleague Iain Lees-Galloway that we will support that but we do have to point out that the gestation of this bill has taken longer than the pregnancy of an elephant. It was in July 2007 that the Law Commission was asked by the previous Labour Government to look at the misuse of drugs particularly this issue. We know that in February 2010 the commission had submissions on such a measure and that its final report came out in May 2011—almost 2 years ago. The Government then responded in September 2011 and finally we got a bill in February 2013.I believe that the Minister in charge of this bill the Associate Minister of Health would have wanted this progressed much faster than it has been. I know Peter Dunne and I know that he would have been pushing to have this bill brought forward at a much faster pace than it has been. He has not had the opportunity to bring forward a bill that the National Party members of the Government are saying is so urgent that they really support and that is needed in our community. Peter Dunne has had his bill blocked because they had other measures they believed were more important. Well I think this bill should have been ahead of a lot of other bills. This bill should have had the priority that the Minister in charge of it wanted for it but he has been thwarted and he has had to wait in line while other Ministers dabbled around with their legislation.So when we hear members opposite saying that this is a very urgent measure I believe they are shedding crocodile tears because this bill should have been debated a lot earlier. It was introduced in February. Now we are waiting and we are going to have to report on it in a fast and truncated manner. We do need time at the select committee to look at all the issues. Minister Dunne I did raise an issue around the overseas manufacture of these drugs and whether the authority is going to be able to audit thoseplaces of manufacture that are outside New Zealand. These are some of the measures that are going to need to be looked at. We need the time to go into them. I know the select committee will try to do its very best. Government members actually should be ashamed of themselves. You cannot tell the public of New Zealand that you really care about this issue that you are really worried about the substances that young people in particular are taking—saying that they are not regulated people have no idea of the dosage or what is in the substances and there are no age restrictions or restrictions on where they are sold—and then delay this bill for so long.Well I say congratulations to Minister Dunne on bringing forward a piece of legislation that is going to address the issue and I think ensure that we have safe products on our shelves. That is what New Zealanders want—safety and as low a risk as possible. But Minister you have been thwarted by your coalition partner in getting this bill to this House and passed. I hope we can do it justice in 2 months. We certainly want the public to have its say on this bill. There will be many many views on it and I hope we come back to this House with an improved bill.But Gerry Brownlee and his management of this House are getting worse by the day—worse by the day. You cannot say something is a priority and then delay it and put other bills before it. It is either urgent and a priority or it is not. So do not give us the crocodile tears; give us the action. We will do our best and we will support it but I have to say that this is very poor management of an urgently needed bill.