Grigg NicolaNICOLA GRIGG (National—Selwyn): It is a pleasure to take a call in support of the Sexual Violence Legislation Bill the genesis of which I understand arises from a real scourge in our society. We have really high—unacceptably high—rates of sexual offending and violence that occur here and for a multitude of reasons too often they go unreported and therefore unprosecuted. From what I understand I think about 25 percent of New Zealand women have experienced a sexual assault in their lifetime and I think unbelievably only 6 percent of those assaults are actually reported to police. To me that is a real point of shame for us all. I think from all the evidence and the submissions I've read that that's largely to do with the current existing court process in that too often it results in victims being re-traumatised. We've long held the view that the criminal justice system really needs to I suppose up its game and become increasingly victim-centric and focused on the victim. I do think that our track record speaks for itself.We're supporting this bill tonight because not only will the provisions in it bring some dignity to a victim's ability to be able to give evidence against an alleged perpetrator but also over time it's going to give them more confidence to come forward and seek justice and I suppose some closure as well. I think that we as politicians here really need to do everything we can to encourage victims to come forward and engage with that court process and therefore it's our obligation to make it an attractive proposition not a terrifying one.Not long after this bill was introduced to the House I had an anonymous call from a woman who wanted to tell me that her female partner had been raped by a male work colleague and they wanted to know when this bill was going to come into law so therefore they could then even think or even consider pursuing court action because as it was then and there they weren't going to even consider it. I never heard back from that woman but I do want to say if they are listening I hope that the passage of this bill today gives them the courage and indeed the confidence to pursue justice.In my time as a journalist I've covered a number of murder trials particularly of women and often we heard canvassed evidence of sexual violence and offending against the victim that occurred prior to that murder. And as I stand here tonight I can't help but wonder had this piece of legislation been in place by then would those women potentially still be alive. So I am confident that this bill is going to reduce the re-traumatisation of victims that so many of us have talked about and that they will be more prepared to go to court and give evidence.Now I didn't sit in on the select committee but some of the submissions I've read stuck out to me. There's one in particular from the Canterbury District Health Board down in my home patch which presented detailed submissions raising awareness about the number of sexual assault victims that they see admitted to hospital. They reported regular encounters" with only a minority of patients who were prepared to engage in the court process. They also commented that the reasons that those victims weren't prepared to engage in the court process was largely for fear that they wouldn't be believed and also because of the potential repercussions from the perpetrator. From my very own electorate the Lincoln University Students' Association submitted in favour of the bill drawing attention to a study which reported 36 percent of 2700 tertiary students who were surveyed said they had experienced some form of sexual assault in their time at university. They are damning.We are here in support of this bill this evening. The National Party have slight reservations. We will always hold the right to a fair trial as a fundamental tenet of a democratic society. And while we do broadly support the principle of allowing for this cross-examination by video recording of a victim or a witness ahead of a trial there is some slight concern that this should only be kept for those rare and exceptional circumstances rather than a matter of course. And it is encouraging to hear from the Minister that that will be watched closely. So all in all we do stand here in support of this bill this evening and may I commend it to the House."