The Government has failed to introduce promised legislation for roadside drug testing, which will cost dozens of lives and must precede the referendum on cannabis, National’s Drug Reform spokesperson Nick Smith says.

“It is a tragedy that this Government is dragging their feet on roadside drug testing when 95 people a year are being killed in preventable road crashes caused by drug impaired drivers.

“The Government rejected detailed proposals from officials for introducing random roadside drug testing in November 2017, voted against a National Party Bill in November 2018, and again blocked the introduction of our Bill today. It has failed to meet its commitment from last December to introduce a bill ‘early in 2020’.

“These delays are costing eight lives a month. The core problem is that Julie Anne-Genter, the Green Party Minister responsible for road safety, is a sceptic of roadside drug testing, saying it is ‘too intrusive’ and ‘extremely expensive’. She is more interested in liberalizing drugs than introducing robust roadside testing.

“It is imperative with medicinal cannabis being approved and the recreational cannabis referendum approaching fast that random roadside drug testing is introduced asap.”

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