But even the less political bills can still generate a lot of public submissions to the select committee putting a new bill through its paces. For example, the Health Committee is currently hearing submissions on the Water Services Bill, which seeks to create standards and oversight for water supplies.
That might sound prosaic but it generated nearly a thousand submissions from communities, marae and organisations it would affect. Water supply, it turns out, is complex. Most things are.
Public submissions can help prevent unintended consequences from well-intentioned laws. So it’s worth keeping an eye out on what bills are up for submissions. You might want to make one.
Coalition calls for health-based approach to drug use in open letter to Govt
11 Apr, 2021 05:00 PM
4 minutes to read
The referendum to legalise recreational cannabis was narrowly lost. Photo / Bevan Conley
Audrey Young is political editor for the New Zealand Heraldaudrey.young@nzherald.co.nz@audreyNZH
More than 25 health and social service organisations have banded together to call on the Government to repeal the country s drug laws, to drop penalties for use and to treat the use of drugs as a health issue.
The groups, including the New Zealand Medical Association, the Mental Health Foundation, the Public Health Association, the Maori Law Society, the Drug Foundation, Hapai te Hauora, and JustSpeak, have sent an open letter to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Health Minister Andrew Little and Justice Minister Kris Faafoi.
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Know Your Stuff is a community group trying to reduce drug harm.
Photo: Supplied
MPs rushed through interim legislation under urgency late last year to ensure volunteer checkers at summer festivals would not be prosecuted.
The bill is due to expire in December, but Health Minister Andrew Little said fresh legislation would be passed this year, permanently allowing tests on illegal drugs at festivals.
But Wendy Allison, managing director of Know Your Stuff - a community group trying to reduce drug harm - said the approval of checks at music festivals needed to be the start of more extensive drug safety testing.