Clendon David: Sentencing (Protection of Children from Criminal Offending) Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeClendon David: Sentencing (Protection of Children from Criminal Offending) Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 25 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13754. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]DAVID CLENDON (Green):Tēnā koe Mr Assistant Speaker. The first line of the explanatory note of this Sentencing (Protection of Children from Criminal Offending) Amendment Bill essentially spells out the motivation for it I think. It simply says that “Criminal offending by adults often exposes minors to serious harm.” Undoubtedly it does. To those of us who are parents or even who have the care of other people’s children it is inexplicable in a sense that people would willingly expose children often to quite serious harm but sadly that is the reality. It is something that this bill seeks to address and the Greens are happy to support the progress of this bill. It is appropriate.The bill goes on to mention too that criminal offending by adults does cause harm to children who deserve protection from adult offending that puts them at risk. It is opportune or perhaps it is certainly appropriate that we are debating this bill in its first reading this week which is of course Children of Prisoners Week. I was very happy yesterday to host a brief celebration a launch of that week and of a display from PILLARSNgāPouWhakahou. I do acknowledge my parliamentary colleagues from across the House who cooperated and enabled that brief launch that celebration to occur in the parliamentary precincts. I would just like also—if I may diverge slightly—to mention and acknowledge VernaMcFelin the founder and current director of PILLARS who has 25 years of work protecting and doing her very level best to protect the well-being of the children of prisoners. She was recognised a couple of days ago with an award from the Department of Corrections. Twenty-five years is an extremely long time to be committed and devoted to a very tough call around protecting children from the consequences of adult offending.So with those comments I will talk more specifically to the bill. In a sense we see this as a belts and braces bill. We believe that clearly the intention is that having children exposed to criminal offending—and the specifics talking about P labs and the like—should be treated as an aggravating factor at sentencing. We note that in 2005 JusticeWinkelmann in sentencing an offender who was involved in the manufacture of methamphetamine said this: “it is a considerable aggravating factor that one of these operations was in the garage at the property where you lived with your children”. She went on to say to the offender: “you exposed your children to toxic chemicals in a dangerous environment.” So in a sense we have got some confidence that judges at sentencing would already treat the presence of children as an aggravating factor but clearly this bill would make it perhaps easier for judges to make that call and more likely that they would indeed consider that an aggravating factor. Certainly it does no harm; it may do good. It is kind of a belts and braces approach and there is no harm in that.It is a very short bill and none the worse for that. It is very clear in its purpose. We respect that purpose—to protect children from the very poor judgment clearly of adult offenders who may put those kids at risk. We compliment our colleague on bringing this bill to the House. We will be pleased to support it. Kia ora.