Lotu-Iiga Sam: Reports — Inquiry into the Identification Rehabilitation and Care and Protection of Child Offenders 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Lotu-Iiga Sam: Reports — Inquiry into the Identification Rehabilitation and Care and Protection of Child Offenders 
[Sitting date: 29 August 2012. Volume:683;Page:4937. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
PESETA SAM LOTU-IIGA (Chairperson of the Social Services Committee): 
 I move  
That the House take note of the report of the Social Services Committee on the inquiry into the identification rehabilitation and care and protection of child offenders.  
The Social Services Committee has produced this report as a result of our inquiry into the way child offenders are dealt with by our justice system. It also provides an assessment of the effectiveness of the current care and protection model in identifying and rehabilitating child offenders. This is an important issue in my local community in Maungakiekie and the committee believes it is an important issue across the various communities that form our nation. 
Seventeen submissions were received from professional and non-governmental organisations service providers individuals and the courts. We also considered advice from the Ministry of Social Development the New Zealand Police and the Ministry of Justice. Our terms of reference of the committee’s inquiry covered four key areas: first identifying potential child offenders; secondly the effectiveness of rehabilitative programmes; thirdly the care and protection referral process; and lastly the effectiveness of the care and protection mode. 
The law defines child offenders as over the age of 10 and under the age of 14 under the Children Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989. These offenders have “committed an offence or offences the number nature or magnitude of which is such as to give serious concern for the wellbeing of the child;”. There were concerns around delays in processes to deal with child offenders especially between apprehension and resolution. We know that some child offenders continue offending after they are caught simply because we lack the tools to address their offending before their case is resolved. Although we cannot treat children as adults that interim offending needs addressing. 
The report also makes a number of recommendations designed to change Government responses from a model too focused on what works for agencies to a model focused on best practice and what works for these children and their families. This I believe is a conversation our community needs to have and needs to address and this report is certainly a step in the right direction. It is about getting behind our young people and making sure we are putting them on the right track to success in life and it complements the programmes that have been undertaken by this National Government since our coming into administration in November 2008. 
So what are we doing? Well our focus is on building a safer New Zealand. We have embarked on a comprehensive programme of reform to protect communities prevent crime and put victims first. The Children Young Persons and Their Families Amendment Act of 2010 created a dual-track system by empowering the Youth Court to deal with children aged 12 and 13 who commit serious offences. By the end of January 2012 nine of 19 twelve and thirteen-year-olds referred to the Youth Court had been either referred to the Family Court for resolution or dealt with by other means—for example through family group conferences. Twelve and thirteen-year-olds cannot be transferred to the District Court for sentencing. The only means by which a child can be dealt with by adult criminal courts is if they are charged with murder or manslaughter or if they elect trial by jury. 
 This National Government is staying tough on criminals keeping record numbers of police on the beat and ensuring the justice system focuses on the rights of victims. We are firmly committed to reducing child offending and youth crime and this is highlighted by some of the policy changes to date. As the chairman of the Social Services Committee this report has many sound recommendations that will address the serious issues facing our youth today and into the future. Our Government has already acted in the interests of our youth their families and our communities. I commend this report to the House.