Simeon Brown - MP for Pakuranga

13 September 2018

Psychoactive substances review due

The Government needs to explain why it hasn’t started a review into the Psychoactive Substances legislation despite it being legally required to, Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown says.

“When the National Government passed the law to make synthetic drugs illegal it added a clause that the law must be reviewed every five years.

“The reason that’s so important is because the ingredients of the drugs, how they’re supplied and the technology used are always changing, which means we need to make sure the law remains fit for purpose.

“The Coalition Government claims that it is taking urgent action around synthetic drugs, however this review was meant to start two months ago. I’ve asked questions of the Ministers of Health, Police, Customs and Justice which show no work has been done.

“When Winston Peters was the Acting Prime Minister he promised ‘urgent action’ after the deaths of up to 45 people and yet nothing has gone to Cabinet.

“If this Government was serious about taking action it would adopt my Members Bill which would see longer sentences for the people who supply these drugs. Instead the Government is all talk and no action.”

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