Calder Cam: Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill — Third Reading 
Calder Cam: Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:663;Page:11246] 
Dr CAM CALDER (National) 
: 
 Thank you for the opportunity to rise and speak on the third reading debate of the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill. The previous speaker made a valid point. We need to address the drivers of crime and that is exactly what John Key’s principled and pragmatic National-led Government is doing. We are looking at ways to counter to prevent and to reduce offending in the first place. This is a work in progress. This bill is designed to protect the public from repeat serious violent offenders. These are offenders who have ignored verbal and written warnings of the consequence of their violence and shown a cavalier disregard for the rights of others. 
A prisoner on remand and one sentenced is held under the care of the Department of Corrections. The facilities operated by the corrections service have four main roles: to deter a potential offender from offending to punish a convicted offender to protect the public from a convicted offender and to rehabilitate a convicted offender. Let us look at rehabilitation. Drug and alcohol dependency is a problem for many prisoners and often a causative factor in their offending. We have doubled the amount of drug and rehabilitation places available from 500 to 1000 and aim to increase the number of places further in the future when possible. We are also committed to rehabilitation through training programmes which improve inmates’ skills. 
Spring Hill Corrections Facility is an impressive correctional facility designed so that prisoners in the highest-security cells can view the medium and low security cells and prison workshops from where they are based. So in other words there is a path to rehabilitation clearly visible should a prisoner choose to take it. All the staff I met there impressed me with their professionalism and passion for rehabilitation through prisoner education. Prisoners assessed as suitable have a chance of training in carpentry metalwork catering and farm work. Prior to their final release with the support of surrounding businesses some prisoners may undertake day release-to-work programmes. The aim at Spring Hill Corrections Facility is ultimately to have 60 percent of prisoners able to take part in those rehabilitation programmes. 
The day after my visit corrections officer Jason Palmer was injured in the course of his duties and later died. His funeral was held yesterday. I offer my deepest sympathy to his family who have lost a beloved husband father son and brother and to the Spring Hill staff who have lost a friend and a valued team member. 
The Government announced yet another rehabilitation initiative in this Budget. Whare Oranga Ake which my colleague referred to earlier will help to cut reoffending among Maori. Whare Oranga Ake is a kaupapa Maori reintegration unit “outside the wire” where the focus will be on prisoners gaining employment securing suitable accommodation and improving family and wider social relationships. As well as offering rehabilitation a correctional facility should deter punish a convicted offender and protect the public. As a member of the Law and Order Committee I visited New Plymouth Prison Auckland Central Remand Prison Spring Hills Corrections Facility and Rimutaka Prison. I have no wish to spend a protracted period of time in any of them. Sadly a number of our citizenry a prison muster of some 8500 people are not deterred. The prison muster continues to grow. 
With a rising population some increase in the muster is inevitable but this Government is not complacent. We are seeking ways and new ideas to reduce it—in stark contrast to the late unlamented lackadaisical Labour administration which had no answers where legislative lassitude and lethargy reigned supreme. Their caucus riven with fear loathing and mistrust careered between querulous cavilling and contented catatonia. New ideas were as rare as a bikini on an Eskimo as unknown as Vaseline on the hands of a trapeze artist as scarce as a tsunami in the Sahara. That is in stark contrast to this Government. John Key’s National-led principled pragmatic Government is determined to explore every avenue to rehabilitate every avenue to deter but also to punish the persistent repeat serious offender and to protect the public from their depredations. The Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill is part of this wide range of our initiatives. I commend this bill to the House.