Simeon Brown

And so it's just, it really does beg a belief.

And the message is completely the wrong message, that on one hand,

These people are selling the drugs and it's essentially the direct reason for the misery in our communities.

And then we're going to hand them some money and say, oh, can you fix up our broken communities, broken because of drugs?

It's a joke, Amanda, and it gets me very upset.

What do you say to that?

There's so many responses.

I understand that there's people that cannot feel comfortable

unless they see kind of someone that gets it from their perspective.

But there are so many reputable, beautiful, the right intentions organisations

that do this mahi.

I was just at Papakura Marae with Minister Tama Portaka and the National Party candidate Emma Chatterton.

Papakura Marae, they offer over 50 services to the community and part of them is with respect to drugs and rehabilitation.

We've got reputable, good, decent

organisations run by decent people.

I'm very sorry to say this, but the truth is that anyone that chooses to be part of a gang that currently sells drugs and then says we're going to help people get off drugs,

they're actually pulling the wool over many people's eyes for the people that believe that.

So am I for rehabilitation?

100%.

And I am so proud of the fact that one of the big issues for us in the election in 2023 for the National Party, and we got onto it pretty soon after forming government, because I'm on the Justice Select Committee as well and I'm blessed to be on it,