Simon Bridges supports the move to ban smoking in cars with kids in principle, but wants to see how it will be enacted.
Associate Minister of Health Jenny Salesa announced on Sunday the Government will ban smoking in cars with children.
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Under the law change police will be able to require people to stop smoking in their cars if children (under 18) are present. Police will also be able to give warnings, refer people to stop-smoking support services, or issue an infringement fee of $50.
The National Party had the chance to ban it after it was recommended to Government in 2016, but didn't take it any further.
Three years later Mr Bridges told The AM Show the Government had made the right move.
"How can you argue with the thought of little kiddies being there in an enclosed space with all that passive smoke," he said.
Mr Bridges said he can't recall why the National Party didn't implement the ban, but commended the Government for doing it.
"I'm genuinely unsure of what the story was there and what the ins and outs of why we didn't do it, but fair game here."
But he's not sure about how to enforce it and questioned whether fines would always be appropriate.
"I've got a couple of questions - I think one thing that we know is disproportionally this will affect Māori and Pasifika whānau...
"Are fines going to be always the right thing there? You do need to make sure you're educating and doing something alongside it.
"I would also sort of ask, how does this part of Smokefree 2025 go along with the moves to effectively allow smoking marijuana?"
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