Smith Nick: Corrections Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee Procedure 
Smith Nick: Corrections Bill — Instruction to Committee In Committee Procedure 
[Volume:617;Page:12992] 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (National—Nelson) 
: 
 This part is just dripping with political correctness. We can tell when we have both the Green Party and the Labour Party backing this sort of corrections legislation what we can expect. Is there anywhere in this part which deals with the principles that uses the word “punishment”? As a common-sense New Zealander I say the reason we send people off to prison is to punish them for a crime that they have committed. However nowhere in this part are we allowed to use the word “punishment”. I ask the Minister whether it is Government policy that we now are not to punish people who offend and break the law of the land. Is that the Minister’s position? We on this side of the Committee take a balanced view. We are not unhappy with the Department of Corrections having a rehabilitation role but we should be up front and say: “Corrections is about punishment.” I know that it does not suit those politically correct types sitting on the Government benches to dare use the word “punishment”;we should be up front. It should be there. 
Darren Hughes 
: Like your nuclear-free policy! 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: The young member from otaki Forks who has just woken up thinks that there is no role at all in regard to crime for punishment. People can rape pillage or steal but under Darren Hughes’ corrections policy there is to be no punishment. We are to have a touchy— 
Darren Hughes 
: Don’t be silly. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Where is the word “punishment”? We have the principles— 
Darren Hughes 
: It’s the maintenance of public safety. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: That is not the word “punishment”. That is not there. Our corrections system is about more than just public safety. It is about punishment. We then come to the political correctness around family. I commend my colleague Judith Collins for exposing the politically correct dogma that we see in respect of family that is now to be recognised by this Government. The Government’s definition of family is absolutely infinite. If one has any sort of psychological attachment with anybody one is now defined as family. So much has the Government thrown out this most basic institution that founds our society— 
Hon Matt Robson 
: No it doesn’t. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: That would be typical of the politically correct party that he represents. They do not have any respect at all for the family; neither does Minister Judith Tizard. Thus we have the sort of woolly silly presentation in the bill around that particular issue. I say to members opposite that family is important. We need to have some common-sense definition of family yet every single statute that this Government puts through the Parliament with the endorsement of the Greens just further erodes families in this country. 
Hon Judith Tizard 
: What drivel! 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I am pleased the Minister has at long last recognised the drivel that one must take into account in the Corrections Bill—such as “cultural background” “ethnic identity” and “language of offenders”. That politically correct drivel is being put into our corrections legislation. Are we saying that somehow because of someone’s ethnic identity he or she will have different rights? Members on this side have a very clear view: we say there is one standard of citizenship for all New Zealanders. 
Darren Hughes 
: The Opposition has been telling us how good the Maori programmes are. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Absolutely. I started some of them and I am very proud of them. But the Opposition will not support the sort of thing that Mr Hughes wants to see—that is a corrections policy that is very focused on cultural background and ethnic identity but not interested in punishment. We say that people who murder pillage and rape deserve to be punished and they deserve far more than the politically correct— 
Hon Member 
: Which boarding school did you go to? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I never went to boarding school. The member should get his facts right. There needs to be some firmness in corrections policy.