Andersen GinnyHon GINNY ANDERSEN (Labour): Thank you very much Madam Chair. Thank you for the opportunity. I've got a couple of amendments that I would like to speak to.First of all I'd like to speak in support of the amendment in the name of the Hon Dr Duncan Webb and that's specific to enabling the victim's voice to still be carried through. So we appreciate that the Minister has made election promises to get rid of section 27 reports but in those same election promises there was a real commitment made—and it is on record—that there needs to be a greater focus on victims. That was carried quite strongly and it's something that we agree on on this side of the House. So it's a good point in common: that there's been some very specific words stated by key Ministers of this Government that there needs to be a focus away from offenders and on to the victims of crime.In fact there's even been statements made that the funding cuts made in areas like these section 27 reports will be transferred into funding more services for victims and more responsiveness for victims. So while I don't tend to agree with that transfer we do support it. So we would be very interested to hear if the Minister is prepared to support the Hon Dr Duncan Webb's amendment that enables just those reports that include a victim's voice to be funded through legal aid in the section 27 reports.That goes to the heart of the whole idea of trying to stop people reoffending and to stop more victims being created in New Zealand. So it's really difficult to try and really comprehend if you're focused on increasing victim voice—if you're focused on reducing the numbers of victims in New Zealand—why would you not agree to an amendment that enables the voice of the victim to be taken into consideration from all of those aspects and put before the court when the sentencing of that offender is being considered. So I would really encourage the Minister to take a good think about how we can do that because we want to see better outcomes for victims as well.The second amendment that I would like to speak to is in my name and it's for a new clause that would enable—in certain circumstances when the judge thinks it necessary—the court to order a section 27 report. So this hasn't been taken into consideration. It would provide it to be at the discretion of the judge so if there are certain aspects of the case that is being heard before the courts; if the judge felt that a section 27 report would provide additional information that is necessary; and if that presiding officer can see that there is real financial obstacles to the person accused before the court then the judge would be able to make an order for there to be legal aid funding for that.This may go some way towards curtailing the Minister's concerns around a cottage industry springing up and there being unnecessary use of section 27 reports. So it would strike that balance of being able to have all of the information available to a judge at sentencing yet while still having some curtailing of the level of public spending happening in this area. If the judge had that discretion then in those instances where the judge has information that the accused—there are particular factors that haven't come to light and the judge considers that those factors are essential to enable the judge to be able to make an appropriate sentence that stops that person from reoffending; that stops more victims from being created in New Zealand.That to me sounds like a really sensible pathway forward and I'd be really interested to hear from the Minister if he's prepared to consider my amendment that would enable at the discretion of a judge a court order for the section 27 reports to be able to be funded.