Little AndrewBRETT HUDSON (National): Thank you Mr Chair. Just a question for the Minister of Justice. Is he considering or undertaking any policy work with the ministry vis-à-vis potential public risks around the proliferation of bizarre conspiracy theories about the creation of the COVID-19 virus or the dangers of 5G wireless technologies?Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice): Can I just respond to the residual comments made by the member Jami-Lee Ross and say look I do share with him the concern about people using companies as a way of defeating the scrutiny that is otherwise provided for in the Electoral Act and those are issues that ought to be properly examined and debated and full thorough public consultation as we go through reviewing the Electoral Act.To Brett Hudson's question I'm probably not wearing the correct hat for the question that he raises because it does come up in other portfolios of mine except to say I think we are all concerned in general terms when it comes to general elections because we know how susceptible or vulnerable they are to manipulation through putting out as he would describe them and I agree with him bizarre conspiracy theories. We saw in the aftermath of the lockdown this sudden rash of arsons against cellphone towers. There are some people who believe in weird things. I heard a radio report this morning about somebody who claims to be an expert on the transmission of vitamins through 5G or Bluetooth I think technology. Some people actually believe this stuff. What is worrying is when there is an organised effort usually run from offshore to get these ideas up through social media because there are some people who for whatever reason in their own capacity to believe or incapacity to disbelieve buy into these sorts of things and can create undue anxiety. So perhaps I can put it this way: I can assure the member that there are quarters of Government where this matter is getting attention.BRETT HUDSON (National): Thank you Mr Chair. I'll move if we can to the gang challenges in New Zealand thinking specifically about areas of policy around dealing with what has been not only a very large increase in gang numbers which have grown about 34 percent over the last three years but one that is set against a backdrop of increasing tensions and violence often involving firearms.So very keen to understand what the Ministry of Justice might be looking at in terms of matters of dealing with those that are committing those crimes and how perhaps they should be treated upon conviction. But also and this might hark back to a degree with what we called the Social Investment Agency what they're looking at in terms of helping to prevent people choosing that lifestyle in the first place. This might also have some linkage to a recent police report which warns about the potential for an increased almost by accident criminal element resulting from the economic consequences of the COVID-19 response seeing more people who had never shown never exhibited any sort of criminal tendencies or behaviours—through circumstances that they might see as need potentially seeing that as for them maybe the only avenue or an easy avenue in some respects to deal with the straitened circumstances they find themselves in.But what we have seen in the last couple of years particularly in the last year as relates to violence including violence with firearms is a worrying trend a very clear trend to these increased gang numbers resulting in more actual violence principally between gang members and associates but also spilling over to the public environment and placing at risk general members of the public. So very keen to hear what the ministry might be thinking of in terms of preventative policies but also what aspects of current legislation particularly around maybe sentencing or particular offences might warrant change to deal with the very real problems that we're facing.Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Justice): Thank you Mr Chairman. I thank the member for his question and some of that question might be better directed to my colleague the Minister of Police who will be taking the chair very very soon. But can I just say that we share the concerns that the member expresses about the increased number of gang members and the increased gang presence in some communities. We know that a lot of that is driven off the back of the deportees from Australia some of whom are deported because they have criminal convictions. Many are deported just because they are regarded by Australia as not of good character or somehow compromising—I think the words are compromising the health of the community of Australia". But that has been a real factor in the growth of gang members and the numbers of gang members in New Zealand. I agree with him: there has been heightened tension in some communities as a consequence and it is also true that a lot of that tension is inter-gang tension. But the reality is once it's in the community we cannot underestimate the real risk that innocent parties get caught in the metaphorical crossfire if indeed not the literal crossfire. In terms of the ministry we've been working very closely with the police on looking at the recovery of proceeds of crime legislation to make sure that we're able to intervene early enough. It's all very well once crimes have been committed by organised criminal elements but if we know that there are preparatory steps and planning steps where we might intervene earlier then we would like to be able to do soIn terms of prevention I think the member is absolutely right: there is a risk through periods of economic uncertainty or economic decline or downturn that those who meet hardship as a consequence can be driven into illegal activity. It's difficult to quantify that in any circumstance but a core part of the work that the Government across the board is doing—the police and other agencies—is to make sure that we are across those individuals those households indeed those communities where there is a heightened risk of this sort of activity so that we can prevent that where possible. Really the most important preventive measure will be the investment the Government makes in incentivising job creation working with the business community to create the opportunity for them to invest in new business activity and innovations and those things are going to generate new jobs. We are definitely continuing to do that. We do that through our infrastructure investment plans through the Provincial Growth Fund through other initiatives that the Government has embarked on both before the outbreak of the pandemic and since."