Hipango Harete; Dean JacquiHARETE HIPANGO (National): Thank you. So in addressing the House on the Land Transport (Road Safety) Amendment Bill I've listened with interest to the contributions in the House and it's been a variety of thoughts in relation to this bill which has two main objectives and that is in relation to promoting road-user safety by drivers. So it is about ensuring that the unsafe practices of fleeing drivers—there is the measure of accountability with amendments to the current law under the Land Transport Act 1998 with an expansion of forfeiture powers from 28 days effectively impounding a vehicle and then after that period of time looking at forfeiture. So to expand that period from 28 days initially to six months and then also the other new power that's been created is for the police to seize and to impound the motor vehicle for 28 days if the driver or registered person of that vehicle fails to provide information. So that's the important part about the second limb to this proposed amendment is the failure to provide information about a fleeing driver. In the days of my practice as a criminal court lawyer there were a number of defendants that I appeared for and advocated for in terms of land transport contravention breaches charges and subsequent penalties that were imposed. And one of the concerns that I share with the House in terms of the impounding and it's been identified in the debate today that those vehicles that are—and I'm talking about my youth justice clients but also recidivist offenders those people who have repeatedly offended either failing to stop failing to have albeit a registered or licence-holder driver and therefore a continuum throughout a series of their life of disqualifications and fines that have continued to be incurred where often that could mean people are imprisoned for repeat disqualifications or the fact that the fines are so significant they do a term of imprisonment. So I would invite the select committee when considering submissions from the public to factor that in because it is about whether or not this law is going to be of sufficient consequence to deter repeat offending. This has focused very much on fleeing drivers. A fleeing driver is a driver who has been required to stop by the police and they have failed to stop. So there's provisions within section 114 of the Land Transport Act which addresses those qualifying factors of what failing to stop is. This law is talking about those drivers who fail to stop and they are fleeing drivers. I listened with interest to the contribution from the Green Party member around the equitable imposition and adjustment of a tariff according to the socio-demographic. And the reality is this is the socio-demographic that many of us as defence counsel with repeat or recidivist driving offenders that come from that lower decile of our socio-economic-demographic community. So this is about striving to keep our communities safe but to deter offenders. So it's going to be interesting and I have glanced at the regulatory impact statement which brings me to again that socio-demographic. The fleeing driver's profile: the profile of a fleeing driver including age differs depending on circumstances and whether the driver is a first time or repeat offender. However the research shows that fleeing drivers are more likely to be younger and male. And having practised in the area of child welfare care and protection and youth justice it's a known scientific fact particularly with our young men that their cognitive and their rationale for assessment and judgment isn't fully functioning until approximately the age of 25. So they're younger and male identify as Māori have criminal and traffic offence histories do not have a current driver licence—again often associated with socio-economic demographics—or have been disqualified or suspended. Again those are some areas that I've touched on. I invite the select committee to turn their minds to addressing how effective this legislation will be in terms of dealing with fleeing drivers. ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Jacqui Dean): Lemauga Lydia Sosene—five minutes.