Cosgrove Clayton: Sentencing (Offender Levy) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Cosgrove Clayton: Sentencing (Offender Levy) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:658;Page:7152] 
Hon CLAYTON COSGROVE (Labour—Waimakariri) 
: 
 Given the ACT Party’s contribution we could rename the Sentencing (Offender Levy) Amendment Bill the “ACT Party Deep down Does Not Really Like It Either and Does Not Think It Will Work Bill”. Mr Garrett is right on this occasion although he and I do disagree somewhat on a number of issues. I commend Mr Garrett. He did not have to get up on his feet and make that statement but he did so tonight. He is a man who has very genuinely held views on law and order issues. I commend him on this occasion rare though it may be for getting up and saying that deep down he does not believe and the ACT Party really does not believe that this legislation will work. As Mr Garrett said in his first reading speech he is very very sceptical about this bill. So the “ACT Party Does Not Believe It Will Work Bill” would be a very good title I think for this legislation. 
It is interesting that Mr Garrett made the point that in essence—I am paraphrasing what he said and I am sure he will stand up and correct me if I am wrong—if in his view this legislation does not meet the mark he will propose amendments. I presume maybe that will be to require the Government to appropriate funds although I suspect he may not have to do that. I suspect what will happen is that Ms te Heuheu the Minister for Courts will have another few dollars put on the line item budget in that area. The extra dollars will be glossed up in a whole lot of words to hide what they are for but they will be to top up the offender levy when the money does not come in and does not flow directly to victims. This bill could be called the “We Will Toughen Up in This Next Budget Round Bill”. That is I suspect what the Government will do because it knows that it will have some problems. 
So I commend Mr Garrett on this occasion. We do disagree somewhat on a very large number of issues but he did not have to say what he said tonight. He got up and said he was sceptical about the bill. Well he did effectively say that OK the ACT Party will wander into the stalls with the National Party and put the yes stamp on the vote but in essence ACT does not really support the bill because ACT is sceptical as to whether it will actually work and whether its implementation will provide victims with the necessary support that they want. I think in all seriousness a good title would be “ACT Party Government Coalition Partner: We Did Not Support It Deep down and Do Not Think It Will Work Bill”. That would be a very very good title. The ACT Party is honest enough to say that is the case. 
I invite the Minister in the chair the Hon Simon Power to get up and comment about the fact that the Government’s coalition partner through its honesty tonight has whipped the rug right out from under the Government. It would be very interesting to know what Government members will say when they go back to their electorates and the Sensible Sentencing Trust knocks on the door and asks why even the ACT Party does not believe that this legislation will work. Perhaps it will ask Mr Bridges in his patch; I wonder what he will say. In Wanganui where half my people come from I wonder what Mr Borrows will say when the Sensible Sentencing Trust or other victims’ rights agents or organisations knock on his door to ask why ACT got up and honestly said it did not think this legislation would work either and to ask why the ACT members were so sceptical about it that they foreshadowed that they would propose amendments to sort it out if it did not work. I want to hear what Mr Borrows will say then because the rug has been pulled out from under this Government tonight at about 9 p.m. when Mr Garrett made an honest heartfelt contribution. 
The truth is that the party that purports to be the toughest party on law and order issues—and we will not debate the veracity of that—is now on the record as saying it does not think this legislation will really meet the mark. ACT does not really believe that this measure will actually assist victims; it does not believe that it will give victims the resources that they need. What the ACT members really believe is what most of us I think believe on this side. We all stand for victims and we all stand with and beside victims but we want to put legislation through this House that is not about politics but about achieving a practical effect. We want to make the levy work and to look after victims. Tonight the Government has been exposed. This is one of three or four such occasions over the last week. But tonight the party that purports to be the toughest in the House on law and order issues has basically pulled the rug out from under the credibility of this legislation. I will enjoy these speeches and I will keep them in the filing cabinet ready to take out at the appropriate time. I think Mr Garrett will be a man of his word on what he has proposed.