Coleman Jonathan: Coroners Bill — In Committee 
Coleman Jonathan: Coroners Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:633;Page:4679] 
 JONATHAN COLEMAN (National—Northcote) 
: 
 I think my colleagues have canvassed the arguments pretty extensively with regard to Part 4. What should be commended in the Coroners Bill is the fact that it will establish the office of chief coroner. Although National has a number of reservations about the disestablishment of 44 posts with no compensation there are some admirable features to the new structure. Having a chief coroner and introducing some uniform professional standards we do not see as being a bad idea. The good thing about the bill is that it will introduce some uniformity across the country. 
Hon Rick Barker 
: Oh it’s another good idea! 
Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: If the Minister would just listen I might even offer some more praise for the bill. People are looking to the bill for uniformity of practice across New Zealand. New Zealanders have to be confident that when they come into contact with the coronial system they will be treated the same wherever they go in the country. 
Nevertheless we need to have a great deal of sympathy for those long-serving coroners for the unconstitutional way in which they will be unceremoniously dumped from their positions with absolutely no compensation. We have to ask who on earth would want to be a coroner. It is a thankless job. Coroners listen all day to stories of death they confront sad and obviously distressed families in their time of greatest need and they are often called upon to make controversial judgments then hung out to dry in the media. Many of these people after 40 years of service will be told: “Thanks very much for coming along. We were very happy to have you while we needed you but sorry you won’t be required under Minister Barker’s new regime.” I guess the question for the Minister is whether he is prepared to offer ex gratia payments to those people. Would the Minister like to take a call and answer that very question? 
I think that with all the years of thankless service these people have given to the country they deserve far better than what they will get under the Coroners Bill. These people have balanced their sense of social responsibility to give service to their communities while maintaining other professional duties. Many have been ex-policemen many have tried to maintain a legal practice at the same time and medical practitioners have also fulfilled the role. So very often the role of coroner has been taken on by people who are probably the best qualified in their community and who take up that mantle because frankly no one else is prepared to do a very thankless job that has been pretty poorly rewarded. A lot of coroners could have made a lot more money doing other things but they have been prepared to do a service to their community. 
I ask the Minister to think carefully about whether he is really firm on the provisions of Part 4 and whether there might be some leeway there so we can recognise the service of these people and not do away with them in such an unconstitutional manner. Frankly if we can do away with the coroners in this manner we have to ask who might be next. 
Looking through some of the editorials I see that it is quite clear that press opinion is largely supportive of these coroners especially in some of the rural areas. The  
Nelson Mail 
 states that the dismissal of these coroners is unconstitutional. It tells the story of Mr Smith a Coroners Council member who says that coroners have not had a pay increase since 1991. Someone who has been in that job for the last 15 years would have to be pretty keen— 
Hon Rick Barker 
: That’s not correct. 
Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: Is the Minister accusing the  
Nelson Mail 
 of libel? 
Hon Rick Barker 
: Fixed that in the last Budget. 
Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: And what was it raised by? The Minister cannot just say it was raised. He has not got a figure; it is just a reflex response from that open empty mind. 
Hon Rick Barker 
: It’s all public information. Get on the Internet. Google the answer. 
Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN 
: I am not going to get on the Internet; I am giving a parliamentary speech. That coroner Mr Smith was concerned that the move could set a precedent for similar changes in other courts. If we are going to do this to the coroners who will be next? That is the question.