Paul Goldsmith: Justice Minister says meth is a 'scourge on society'

New Zealand's soaring methamphetamine problem be won't taken down through one approach.

The Government's new action plan is eyeing up importation, distribution and demand - as consumption doubles to nearly 1,500 kilos last year.

It's also launching a prevention campaign - and allocating 30-million-dollars for community support services.

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith told Mike Hosking that meth is a scourge on society.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
To the news of the weekend. What do we make
of this so called meth crackdown? Meth consumptions doubled in
the past year. The damage is estimated at one and
a half billion. So we have joint maritime operations between
Customs Defense and GCSB, boosted police enforcement, Tupper border security.
Baul Goldsmith's Justice Minister, it is with us. Good morning,
morning Mike. In part of the announcement yesterday, did anyone

(00:21):
think about some penalties for the people? It's all very well,
giving thirty million dollars out, what about the people who
peddle this nonsense and go to jail? Did anyone think
about penalties and increasing those?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Oh well, we've been doing that for the last two years.
You might recall that when we came and we brought
back three strikes legislation for the most serious repeat offenders,
and we also changed the sentencing lords to reduce the
amount of discounts that judges can offer to people who
are sentences. So, look it we've been very focused on that.
The hardening of our judicial response or legislative response has

(00:49):
already happened. How much this is about, yeah, how much of.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
This is offshore? In other words, these people who peddle
the stuff, make the stuff, ship it out to this
country will never see them in our jurisdiction.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
Well, well, I mean there are three basic elements to
our response. Which is trying to stop the stuff coming
in at the first place, which is working up in
the Pacific and beyond, and that our borders to stop
it coming. And secondly, it's about the distribution within New Zealand,
which is around organized crime and gangs. And thirdly, it's
about reducing the demand for it and dealing in the

(01:20):
demand because you can you can spend your whole life
focus on the first two, but if you don't deal
with the demand, you're not going to get very far.
That's why it's a comprehensive plan looking at all those
different angles.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
What has happened to this country?

Speaker 2 (01:30):
Pool?

Speaker 1 (01:31):
I mean when you say it's double, meth is doubled,
What on earth is going on?

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Well? The main driver is that there's been a flood
of supply and the prime and that's.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
A flood of supply of wine at my liquorine. I'm
not buying that.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Explain that explains it? Yep. Look, I mean that there's
an existential question you've got there, Mike, and I don't
have the answers to that, other than the fact that
this is a scourge on society that we need to
keep on battling against every day, finding new ways to
combat the organized criminals who are doing this, but also
dealing with the better rehabilitation, and actually, for the first time,

(02:08):
sending a clear message through a hard hitting media campaign.
This is not a good idea to get involved with
in anyway.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
In all honesty, is a hard hitting media campaign to
your average you know, dare I suggest unemployed go no
where meth addict? Is that going to make one jot
of difference?

Speaker 2 (02:26):
No, but it may stop some people taking the risk,
And no single thing on its own is going to
solve the problem. Of course, a campaign's not going to
deal with a hard and sort of meth adict, but
there may be a young person who's thinking about it
who if they get a clear message. This is not
something you could use moderately. It's not something just to
have a deal of a devil with. It's something to

(02:46):
avoid at all costs because some people, just one SHOT's
enough to lead to a decade's long spiral of chaos
and destruction. And that's what we want to send a
clear message about.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
Back at the start of this the Pacific slack. Are
you worried about what the Pacific do or won't do?

Speaker 2 (03:00):
No, But it's challenging, definitely, very challenging. There's been a
huge increase coming from South America through the Pacific, and
so part of our responses to get more forward leaning
with customs, the defense forces and our security forces all
pushing up into the Pacific in order to help them
deal with the situation before it comes to New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (03:20):
What are the KPIs on this? When do I get
you back to say you've done something tangible?

Speaker 2 (03:24):
Well, I mean this is one of those things where
we have a hard measure and we can't escape it.
That is the waste water responses. You know, it doubled
a year or so ago. It's come back a fraction,
but nowhere near back to where it needs to be.
And our gold courses to bend the curve right back
down and start to reduce the amount of myth and
our waste water.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
Well, I wish you well with the Paul Goldsmith, Minister
of Justice.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
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