Brown Peter: Young Offenders (Serious Crimes) Bill — First Reading 
Brown Peter: Young Offenders (Serious Crimes) Bill — First Reading 
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PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 Let me start by clearing the air quite strongly. I do not know anybody at all who is keener and more determined than my colleague Ron Mark to see young people get a good start to their lives and to live fulfilled decent worthwhile lives. I have known Ron for a number of years now. I have listened to him on many occasions when he has talked about crime and youth crime and I can tell this House he is absolutely determined to give young people a fair go at the start of their lives. 
But this bill is not about that; this bill is about bringing in a new method to address the concerns we have about young people committing crimes. Its purpose is outlined in the opening sentences of the explanatory note which I think it is very worthwhile to read to members: “The purpose of this Bill is to address the serious crimes being committed by young offenders. Young offenders in some cases only children have been responsible for a recent spate of very serious and shocking crimes.” If anybody doubts that he or she should look at the crime figures in this country and at the violent crime figures. I looked at them earlier on this afternoon. In 1990 I think there were 20000 violent offences or thereabouts. In the latest figures available there were 45000. That is a huge increase in violent offences. 
I talked some time ago to a young police officer. She said many offenders start when they are young people—it is a sad fact of life that they start young. [ 
Interruption 
] Madam Assistant Speaker you ruled a little while ago that the interchange across the benches should stop. New Zealand First respected that ruling. I ask you to— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Ann Hartley) 
: Yes. Please I do not want any interjections across the benches. It is disturbing for the speaker. 
PETER BROWN 
: A little while ago I talked to a young female police officer in the Auckland area and she told me about the incidents she had to deal with. On more than one occasion she would pick up a young person late at night take that person to the police station in order to contact somebody about that person and before the end of her shift she would have picked up the same person again. Those young people are back out committing crimes. They have gone wherever the police were able to take them under the scope of the Children Young Persons and Their Families Act and they are back out and being picked up for committing crime again. 
If an incident was to make me realise just how serious this crime wave is it was the time when I went home late one night at 10 o’clock to find my house had been burgled. It had been ransacked. Burglars had got in and had ransacked everything everywhere. Drawers had been pulled out beds had been turned up and things had been stolen. I immediately called the police. The police came—one officer. He found what he thought were fingerprints. The police sent a fingerprint expert the following morning and the expert did in fact find fingerprints. A small hand a quarter the size of mine was fingerprinted in more than one place in that house. 
I asked the officer whether that meant the crime had been committed by a kiddie. He said it meant there had at least been a child in the house pulling everything apart. I asked what he could do when he caught the child. He said he could do nothing now probably but he did tell me that in all probability those fingerprints would turn up 10 years from now with a bigger handprint—and then the police would be able to do something. But meanwhile the police officer told me that young person would get away effectively with impunity with going from house to house as he or she dares taking whatever he or she wants. On that occasion the burglar took a number of valuables. Nothing was returned but I can tell members that the feeling one gets upon walking in and seeing that that has been done to one’s home is absolutely the pits. 
It is with huge regret that New Zealand First believes we have to promote this bill but there is a problem out there. It is a real problem and by sending this bill to a select committee—as I think members of the House will do—we will at least give New Zealanders the chance to air their views and their concerns. I am fully supportive of my colleague as all New Zealand First members are.