A day after National’s youth wing showed support for legal pill-testing in New Zealand, showing a generational divide by going against the view of the National Party, leader Judith Collins stayed mum on her own view.
It comes after the Government said it wants to push through new laws around drug testing at festivals , with long-term changes in the works for next year.
Health Minister Andrew Little yesterday said immediate changes will protect pill testing services, such as Know Your Stuff, "against prosecution for short-term possession of illegal drugs while they test them".
This morning on TVNZ1's Breakfast, though, Collins hinted her personal view on the issue may have swayed from National's hard line opposition to pill testing — saying, under repeated questioning, only that she accepts the decision of the caucus.
"The caucus has agreed that we don't want to send messages to people saying that these drugs are actually safe to take," she said. "Because they're not."
However, Breakfast host John Campbell said young people don't give a damn about messaging — "they ignore us".
"If they're going to take the pills, and they are, isn't the best thing that the pills are safe?" he asked.
"We'd rather they didn't take the pills and they are already testing them," Collins responded, repeating "that's the caucus decision and that is what we're sticking with".
Campbell told her he got the sense it was a decision she didn't support, but Collins wouldn't confirm her own view.
"Do you know what happens in our caucus? What goes on in caucus stays in caucus, you know that John," she said.
"It's a decision that obviously the caucus decides and my view is that part of being a team player is always that we accept the caucus decisions.
"So, obviously we discussed it. There are pros and cons of it and the decision was very clear."
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