Collins Judith: Manukau City Council (Control of Graffiti) Bill — In Committee 
Collins Judith: Manukau City Council (Control of Graffiti) Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:646;Page:15313] 
JUDITH COLLINS (National—Clevedon) 
: 
 I am very pleased to be able to support my fellow South Auckland electorate MP along with our other colleague Ross Robertson on this bill of George Hawkins and to help the Manukau City Council take a stand against graffiti. I really thank the Committee for the ability to have a wide-ranging debate about this because the bill as presented was a very small bill but in lots of different parts and we would have ended up having very long speeches on such matters as infringement notices. That would not have helped the standard of debate. 
It is fascinating to me as a person who lives in South Auckland and works in South Auckland to find that there are still people today who think that graffiti or tagging on other people’s property is not a problem. I was absolutely astounded today to find out what the Children’s Commissioner thought of this. I was astounded that she thought so highly of her comments that she went and put out a press release today where she said that tagging law does not need to change. She was actually giving a submission to the select committee in relation to the Government’s other bill on this matter but the words were really meant for this bill as well. 
This was what she said: “I have heard from young people on the matter of tagging and graffiti and I believe their voices need to be heard and respected.” She went on to say other things like this: “I am aware that there are strong public opinions regarding the issue of graffiti and tagging” but she then went on to say that “these public spaces are often environments that children and young people are alienated from.” Well I suggest that she comes down to Papakura and has a look at the skating bowl. That is completely for young people and children but almost every weekend it is completely covered in tagging. So the very space that is not meant to alienate but in fact is meant to include and be for young people is taken over by other young people who do not wish to have that space free for others. 
She also said: “I acknowledge that graffiti and tagging can have negative connotations and outcomes” but then she went on to say that “For some people graffiti and tagging are seen as legitimate art forms.” And this is the bit I really thought was worthwhile saying: “There is history and social commentary behind these art forms.” Well I suggest that she stops doing all her trips around the world—eight last year on the taxpayer—and stays at home in New Zealand Aotearoa to understand what it is for people to have their properties debased defaced and ruined by this sort of so-called social art and history. She can be at home with the rest of us and understand that we have to live in the real world. In South Auckland and in Manukau in particular we have had an absolute gutsful—I say sorry to the Committee for being so rude—of that sort of behaviour— 
Mark Blumsky 
: Gutsful! 
JUDITH COLLINS 
: —an absolute gutsful of it. And I have to say we are sick of it. As Manukau City ratepayers—and I should disclose my interest as a ratepayer—we spend about $1 million a year and the cost is rising on this. But we are really not getting very far with it. We have the Manukau Beautification Charitable Trust a wonderful organisation that I know the electorate MPs all support. We have those people out there working hard and the Manukau City Council working hard. We even have Work and Income occasionally helping out with things. We do everything we can to help and to improve the environment for young people to grow up in—and by the way for old people to grow old in. We do everything we can then we have it ruined by the sort of drivel put out today by the Children’s Commissioner. That woman needs to get real and understand that we have to live in it; we have to live with this. 
Pita Paraone 
: Where does she live? 
JUDITH COLLINS 
: She clearly does not live in Manukau I tell Mr Paraone—she clearly does not live in Manukau. But we need to say congratulations to Manukau City and congratulations to the Hon George Hawkins on his efforts. The National Party is very proud to be supporting this bill and helping Manukau look after Manukau.