Penk ChrisCHRIS PENK (National—Helensville): Thank you Madam Chair. It's always a difficult task to follow that member Greg O'Connor. If I can commence the debate on Estimates—or rather resume it—in relation to Vote Justice Vote Courts and various other related matters that we considered at the Justice Committee as our chair sort of led us through a process and various Ministers appeared before us we of course performed the constitutionally important role of scrutinising the Budget and the Estimates that have been made in those various areas.I'd like to focus on the courts area which is of particular interest to me. But first just to touch on a couple of other aspects. One is remarkable really more for the absence of action and what was not said in the Budget and related documents than for what was said in it namely around hate speech. Now I'm relieved that not much progress appears to have been made on that and we've understood from talking with various Ministers that it's something that the Government is looking into no doubt at the urging of the Green Party. As I say I would not encourage them particularly to progress matters in the way that some members of the Government might encourage them to do so. So perhaps we give some credit for the fact that that is slowed or perhaps stalled. Whether by accident or design that's a good thing but I note that there was not much evidence of work having been done on that that is likely to come to fruition any time soon.As for another matter that has been raised previously as part of the justice programme and more generally of the Government—the suggestion indeed the promise that courts should have their right to issue declarations of inconsistency with the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act that right to be affirmed as the courts have claimed it for themselves in any case and a process set up whereby Parliament would have to respond in some way to such a declaration. It's with tongue in cheek that I suggest that courts might make a declaration of inconsistency between the rhetoric of the Government and the reality. Of course they wouldn't tread on the toes of this House in such a manner but I'm sure they are tempted as indeed most New Zealanders would be considering the justice programme of the Government compared to the before and the after of the promises that were made and certainly looking at the lack of fulfilment within the most recent Budget and the Estimates hearings thereafter.Colleagues have touched on the idea of prison numbers reduction. Of course that's a good thing in itself as far as it goes to the extent that that would reflect the need for prisoner numbers. So that's something that we will carefully continue to monitor on this side of the House—the extent to which criminal offending and public safety needs to be protected and so the relationship between prison numbers and that must of course be appropriate whether that's in an upwards or downwards direction.I'd like to focus as I say on the courts portfolio and more specifically the alcohol and other drug treatment courts. It's a matter of record that National supports the concept of the thing and in fact it was in our term of Government that we established these courts admittedly on a trial basis and I'd like to give kudos to all those who are involved in their running in the present day as well as those who were involved in setting them up in the first instance. We know of course that currently in Waitakere near my own electorate and in Auckland these are running still on a pilot basis until June 2020. And that's the extent of the funding that the Government has allocated. Now it might well be that funding is provided beyond that point at some time ideally before that time runs out but we have not seen evidence of that in the Budget. So with all the earnestness that I can muster I appeal to the Minister and his Government to make a reality the ongoing operation at the very least of the courts that are currently operating so that those will continue to do the good work that they are doing beyond June 2020.We've heard from our colleague and friend the Hon Tim Macindoe with some local advocacy around the desire in Hamilton for an equivalent such court to be set up there. My knowledge of the preparation they've been doing in that area suggests to me that that would be a sensible idea. And again I would encourage the Minister and his Government to move as swiftly as possible to set up such a facility for the benefit of that community as well as those individuals and their families who would benefit most from it. In the meantime again just the need for some extra money; we've got a bit from column A a bit from column B—that is in justice and courts—to keep these courts running. We need a bit more and we look forward to it.