Mapp Wayne: Criminal Justice Reform Bill — In Committee 
Mapp Wayne: Criminal Justice Reform Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:640;Page:10577] 
Dr WAYNE MAPP (National—North Shore) 
: 
 As I indicated earlier National notes that the Government has finally recognised the errors in the 2002 legislation when it introduced what was frankly one of the most outrageous law and order policies this country has ever seen. The reason I say that—for the benefit of the Minister in the chair the Hon Mark Burton—is that the Government was warned repeatedly at the discussion phase through the select committee process by the public and by parties informally that to introduce a policy that would allow the worst offenders in the country to get out of prison after serving one-third of their sentences was a betrayal of public expectation. 
The public had given the clearest possible indication to the entire House by an overwhelming majority that it wanted serious violent criminals to be more severely dealt with not more leniently dealt with as the Government delivered up. Yes the Government did make some amendments in the Committee stage in recognition of that but they were belated and feeble and the public saw that at the time. It has taken another 5 years for the Government to finally recognise its mistake and it has now restored the two-thirds parole provision. 
Of course it is all too late really because the public has moved on. Political parties across this House have moved on. The Government says: “Oh well it might be just knee-jerk responses by parties.” but it is actually a thought-through proposition. We have not said: “No parole for anyone at all.” We have been quite selective actually. We said there should be no parole for violent repeat offenders. That is a narrow class of people. In truth it is quite a lot of people and they make up a large percentage of people in prisons. [ 
Interruption 
] Yes they do. The Minister may not believe that but if he knew the figures he would know that those people make up a large percentage of people in prisons. 
Violent repeat offenders are the people whom the public wants to be protected from. They are the people who should not be getting parole. They should be serving the full length of their sentence and in fact that really means we should trust the judges to get their sentences right. Judges hear all the evidence they hear from the victims and in the courtroom they have information about particular offenders that we in this Parliament by and large do not have other than what we read in the papers. They decide what the sentence should be and the public ought to be able to trust that sentence. The public should be able to trust that when a violent repeat offender gets 9 years as a deterrent and to protect the public that person will serve 9 years. Clearly it is recognised that that person will ultimately get out and there needs to be post-sentence supervision and I know the Government has looked at that. But to wait 5 years for belated recognition that the two-thirds provision should be restored is actually missing the boat because things have moved on I say to the Minister and violent repeat offenders should not get parole. 
We say to the Government and to the public of New Zealand that in 2008 there will be a choice. People will be able to decide on the Government’s response which is parole for violent repeat offenders. This Government will give violent repeat offenders parole. It is in the legislation that it is attempting to pass in this House. 
Hon Mark Burton 
: Oh that’s nonsense. 
Dr WAYNE MAPP 
: On our side we are saying that those people will not get parole. It is a clear choice. I have just heard the Minister say that that is nonsense. That says it all. The Minister simply does not understand the public mood.