Urgent Debates Declined — Referendum—Legalising the Recreational Use of Cannabis

I have received a letter from the Hon Paula Bennett seeking to debate under Standing Order 389 the Government’s recent announcement regarding the proposed referendum on legalising the recreational use of cannabis. This is a particular case of recent occurrence, it involves ministerial responsibility. The test for whether a particular matter requires the immediate attention of the House is a high one—I am not convinced that the application meets the test for urgency. I must therefore decline the application.