Brown SimeonSIMEON BROWN (National—Pakuranga): Thank you Madam Speaker for the opportunity to take a call in support of the Crimes (Coward Punch Causing Death) Amendment Bill which has been brought to the House by my very good friend and colleague Matt King the member for Northland.I've just been listening to the contribution from the member opposite the Hon Meka Whaitiri and I really have to wonder what they're doing voting against this bill. The member spoke about some of the issues and problems she tied in some rhetoric from New South Wales and said Well because New South Wales called this some bill which has to do with thugs then this bill's to do with thugs." and therefore they won't be supporting it. But then she said "Well there is a problem with coward punches but this bill is not going to address that."Well I really don't understand what the issue is because I listened to Matt King's speech and I heard very clearly some examples which he highlighted of people who have had coward punches put against them. They've died and there's been no justice. The example here of Ana Iongi whose partner Reginald Sharma died after a single punch at an Auckland party in August 2017 said she was 100 percent behind this bill. In the case in this instance the man accused of causing his death was charged with manslaughter and found not guilty by a jury in August of that year and she was absolutely shattered by that outcome.This bill is about providing a solution for those examples with easy proof where those people who could do a coward punch—the courts are able to find them guilty where the very specific offence which is in this bill has been met. And this is a very specific offence which this bill proposes in clause 4 inserting new section 168A: (1) Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 20 years who—(a) assaults any other person with intent to hit the other person with any part of the person's body or with an object held by that person; and (b) the assault is not authorised or excused by law; and (c) the assault causes the death of the other person." A very simple offence.I challenge the members on the other side of the House to say to the family of those who've had family members killed by coward punches that they think it's OK for there not to be an offence and for there to be more cases in New Zealand where people are not able to be charged and where there is no justice for those victims. Because on this side of the House we believe that where a coward punch which causes death takes place there must be some justice. There must be some justice for those families. I don't think it's OK to stand up in this House as the member opposite just did and simply say "Well it's a little bit unclear in this bill and so we don't really think there's an issue so we'll just vote it down." That doesn't provide justice. That's simple—Matt King: Politics.SIMEON BROWN: As Matt King said that is simple politics. This is a member's bill and I would encourage members on the other side of the House to put the bill through to select committee so that the public can have their say so that victims can have their say so that people can come forward and tell their stories to the select committee. And if there are particular points of law which they seem to allude to around minimum sentences and maximum sentences which seem to be quite complicated for them well put it to the committee so the committee can hear the evidence. I say this to New Zealand First: put this bill to select committee so that New Zealanders can have their say on this piece of legislation. Because voting down this piece of legislation is saying to people like Ana whose partner died after a single punch in August of 2017 that this Parliament doesn't care that this Parliament is not going to provide justice that this Parliament is not going to be providing a solution whereby those people can be held to account.I just want to commend my good friend Matt King for bringing this issue to Parliament: thank you for coming here as a local member of Parliament who brings his experience his stories—what he's seen on the streets in his policing career—but also coming to this Parliament and standing up for victims of crime who need a voice in this Parliament and who need people who are going to stand up and fight for them. Because I've seen too often this Government being soft on crime being soft on the causes of crime being soft on criminals and being too focused on wanting to just reduce the prison population I do not support this bill."