Curran Clare: Objectionable Publications and Indecency Legislation Bill — First ReadingText is subject to correctionCurran Clare: Objectionable Publications and Indecency Legislation Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 19 November 2013. Volume:695;Page:15110. Text is subject to correction.]CLARE CURRAN (Labour—Dunedin South): I rise to take a short call on the first reading of the Objectionable Publications and Indecency Legislation Bill. Labour is supporting the referral of this bill to the Justice and Electoral Committee. We are supporting its referral to the select committee because it has an important purpose because we need to know what the submissions are and because we need to have a good discussion around this issue which is to do with attempting to stop the spread and use of indecent material and child pornography. I do not think that anybody could ever argue against that or ever would.The bigger question—and there are a number of bigger questions that I know my colleagues have posed tonight—is where this fits not only within a wider and coherent justice strategy but also within a wider strategy around harmful behaviours and harmful behaviours in the digital environment. The big question that I want to put to the House tonight with regard to this bill is the absolute importance—and I do hope that members on the other side are listening—of the meshing of those things and ensuring that there is consistency. One of the big issues that has been raised around this piece of legislation which has just been dropped upon us is its reactiveness and the potential for it to be a knee-jerk response made in isolation from a wider strategic response. [Interruption]Well you know Minister Tolley there are plenty of other things that could be being done at the same time that actually give the sense to the community that the Government is actually providing a wide coherent thoughtful consultative response around some of the behaviour that has been so concerning in our community. Those behaviours are concerning in the online environment and in the physical environment but the important thing is that the legislative responses have consistency across both those environments and are well-thought-through and that they are not reactive and are not knee-jerk. That is why the discussion around that is so important.The conversations that I have had—and which may be of interest to those who are shaking their heads and muttering on the other side of the House—with reputable organisations that have been doing ongoing thinking in this area and which have not necessarily felt listened to are very important. Certainly my big message to the Government on this issue is that it listen; that it does not just react in a way that appears to be because the problem is the latest thing and therefore it has to be seen to be doing something; that it does take a longer-term consultative approach to any moves in thisarea; and that it does widely consult and actively listen. Unfortunately the Government is not known for doing any of those things.There are big questions in this space about enforcement because there are not enough enforcement resources in this space to do anything like a thorough job. It is true of New Zealand and it is also true of other countries. That should be acknowledged. If we are talking about the internet as the environment it should be acknowledged that it is a very difficult place to police using traditional enforcement techniques. So one of the big questions that needs to be looked at in the discussion at the select committee on this legislation is whether agencies like the police and the Department of Internal Affairs really have the resources to enforce these regulations online. I would like to end with that question because certainly the appearance of being seen to do something and the actuality of doing something and then backing it up with enough resources is critical in this whole debate. I look forward to that discussion in the select committee.Bill read a first time.Billreferred to the Justice and Electoral Committee.