Power Simon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Power Simon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 24 July 2007. Volume:640;Page:10606. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
10.  
SIMON POWER (National—Rangitikei) 
 to the  
Minister of Corrections 
: Does he have confidence in his department; if so why? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Minister of Corrections) 
: 
 Yes; but the chief executive understands that he is responsible for continuing to make improvements with clear lines of accountability across the whole department. 
Simon Power 
: Can the Minister confirm that section 107 of the Corrections Act enables prison staff to open an inmate’s incoming and outgoing mail where they suspect that letters may be used to threaten or endanger the recipient of that mail; if so why was a serial stalker allegedly allowed to receive graphic photos of the death scene of a man who committed suicide and why was he then allegedly allowed to forward them on to the dead man’s partner? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: I am aware of the claims the member has made there. Currently an investigation is under way. The current situation is that corrections staff are limited in their ability to block mail. I consider the situation untenable. I have sought and obtained Cabinet approval to introduce a bill next month that will allow corrections staff to screen all mail and block any intimidating threatening or inappropriate correspondence. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Was the decision to send to the inmate the material relating to the inquest made by his department or by the coroner’s office; and were graphic photos part of the package sent to the inmate as alleged by Simon Power? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: Approval to release the information was made by the coroner’s department; and I am informed that no such graphic pictures were part of any information forwarded by the Ministry of Justice or by the coroner’s department. 
Simon Power 
: Can the Minister confirm that the woman who allegedly received these photographs had also allegedly received over 200 letters from an inmate since he was jailed in 2004 yet according to the police: “This is despite the complainant requesting various prisons where the defendant had been incarcerated to put a stop on his mail to her.”? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: Those matters are currently under investigation. As I have said I consider that the limited ability of corrections staff to intervene in mail is untenable. That is why I have moved to make the changes. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Has the inmate concerned been charged in court with criminal harassment for his actions; secondly is the Minister aware of any other cases of inmates wrongly harassing people from their prison cells through correspondence? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: Yes that inmate has been charged; and I am aware of a number of incidents. There are two in particular one of an inmate Samuel Wyatt in 1999 and another of a Glen Holden in 1988. Both of those prisoners harassed individuals from inside a prison. The Minister at the time was Nick Smith and he did nothing. 
Simon Power 
: Why did Public Prisons Service Northern Regional Manager Warren Cummins state: “There was nothing in the prisoner’s list of convictions that would have provided us with reasonable grounds to monitor his correspondence as a matter of course.” when that inmate has 191 convictions including criminal harassment making false oaths misuse of a telephone forgery impersonating police speaking threateningly threatening intimidation and sending a letter threatening to kill? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: I would consider that that would give an indication of the need to monitor. However as I have said there is a limited legal ability to intervene. That is why we will change the law. That inmate is being charged for all of those inappropriate allegations and threats made from within the prison. 
Simon Power 
: Does the Minister agree with the view of his department that it is reluctant to find fault with its mail-screening process and had acted “within our legal ability”; and is that why his department has no plans to apologise to the woman who allegedly received this correspondence? 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: I consider that the mail-screening process could be improved and I consider that the law needs to be changed to make sure that those improvements are carried out thoroughly and consistently. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I was not going to raise a point of order because this happens so often with the Labour Party. But I noticed Phil Goff’s intervention. I wish the House to note—and I would be happy to table my ministerial warrant—that I was the Minister neither in 1988 nor in 1999 as the Minister of Corrections claimed. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: I seek leave to table three documents. One relates to Glen Holden dated 21 October 1998. The second is Samuel Wyatt— 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: 1998? He said 1988. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: No 1998. [ 
Interruption 
] I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. This is a new point of order. I understand that when a member is on his feet addressing a point of order other people are not to interject and Nick Smith has just done so continuously. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Please be seated. That is correct. In the answer to the original question the date 1988 was used. If people wish to file documents— 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: Point of order Madam Speaker. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Would the member please be seated if he wishes to remain in this House. As I recall the year stated was 1988. Although the member rose to correct that as he well knows that is not a point of order. We then had another point of order wanting to table documents. That is where we are at at this stage. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: The first is dated 21 October 1998. The second is dated 22 January 1999. 
Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: The third document is just to indicate that the member’s warrant actually ran from 8 December 1997 to 31 January 1999.  
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I must say that when people are making points of order they are to be heard in silence. 
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. If I mistakenly said 1988 I correct my answer to say 1998 which was when that member Nick Smith was the Minister.