Collins Judith: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Collins Judith: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:656;Page:5622] 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Police) 
: 
 Thank you for the opportunity to speak in the estimates debate in relation to the New Zealand Police. Five main operating funding decisions for Vote Police were announced in Budget 2009. There is nearly $23 million to fund 600 additional police staff by December 2011. Over the course of 4 years we will provide $182.5 million to fulfil this commitment. I am sorry that the Opposition is so mean-spirited about this. The Budget also includes $17 million of capital for property and $3 million for cars and computers. 
As Mr Garrett has just said we are funding a Taser roll-out to our front-line police staff throughout the country. It is with great pleasure that I can say that and I endorse many of the words that Mr Garrett has said about it. Tasers can save lives and we have already seen this occur in New Zealand. Some incidents have been publicised in terms of the media having been there and certainly the media were at a recent incident in Hamilton. But the police have advised me of other incidents that are subject to court proceedings and are not in the public domain at this stage. However I can tell the Committee that Tasers when used properly and in the right circumstances save lives. 
Nearly $5 million will be put towards reducing the waiting time in Auckland courts. We think that is extremely important because justice delayed is absolutely justice denied. Far too many of our victims are re-victimised by the length of time involved in having their proceedings go through the courts. 
There is $570000 towards the Fresh Start programme for young offenders and that is in conjunction with the Ministry of Social Development. 
The operating expenses ledger also includes $14 million offered by police in line by line savings. The commissioner has assured me that these savings will come from the better use of available resources so the impact on service delivery will be minimal. No fewer kilometres are expected to be travelled by the New Zealand Police’s cars. I accept the commissioner’s word on that because unlike Mr Cosgrove who has previously spoken I believe the commissioner when he assures me accordingly. 
We are funding a couple of other non-departmental expenses. The first is the provision for interception capability on telecommunications networks. We are also contributing to the UN drug control programme. I say too that the funding that we are putting into the digital radio for the police will be a lifesaver as well for police and also for victims. Digital radio has already been shown in the Wellington region where it has been rolled out to have stopped criminals in their tracks. At the moment strangely enough anybody can trot along to an electronics shop and buy a police scanner for a couple of hundred dollars but fortunately with this new radio system those scanners will not work. That is something that will give a great deal of protection to the police and also to the public. 
In conclusion I want to take just one moment to thank the Law and Order Committee for its work and in particular to thank its chair Mrs Sandra Goudie who ran a very good select committee despite all sorts of behaviour from some people. I also want to thank the police for the fantastic job that they do for the New Zealand public. There is just one final comment. I would like to offer my congratulations as Minister of Police to Deputy Commissioner of Police Lyn Provost. It has been a pleasure to work with Mrs Provost and I think she will be a great asset to the office of the Auditor-General. 
Vote agreed to.