Borrows Chester: Bail Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Borrows Chester: Bail Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:651;Page:562] 
CHESTER BORROWS (National—Whanganui) 
: 
 It is good to be able to take a call and make a few points in respect of the Bail Amendment Bill. It is good to know too that the Labour Opposition is supporting the Government in respect of this provision a provision that is no silver bullet in spite of what the Opposition says we have cracked it up to be. We know that there is no particular legislation that will do an absolute job on absolutely everything; everybody knows that. We are not under any illusions in that respect in spite of the hopes and dreams of those who come into this House as we all did. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Melissa Lee is. 
CHESTER BORROWS 
: What is a bit of a shame to look at though is the way the Labour Party Opposition is prepared to take the mickey out of anybody who comes here with some sort of experience to bring to the table or some sort of energy or willingness to express desires in where the law might be able to take them. 
It is interesting to hear the former member for Otaki expressing a bit of humour and taking the mickey in that particular way. At least he does it with a little bit of class. He has some youthful enthusiasm—as I understand it he has been shaving for 10 years and he cut himself on both occasions. It is a totally different scenario for the soon to be former member for Waimakariri who wants to take a slap every time he turns. When he speaks like he does turning one way to the other it is as if he has the agitator from one of those old washing machines stuck in his nether regions because that is the way he does it time and time again. 
The fact is that this legislation is just a little bit of common sense which brings something to the debate around reoffending and the opportunity to reoffend. It is one small step that we can take. If those members are prepared to go out and back legislation which they say does nothing we look forward to them backing the legislation that we intend to bring before this House in respect of gangs and in respect of recovering DNA from every person who is arrested for an imprisonable offence. We look forward to hearing those members backing us on legislation that for instance will put 12 and 13-year-olds before the Youth Court and allow them to access the programmes and extend the sentences that that court will be able to impose upon those young offenders to make some real intervention and to provide some of the real rehabilitation that the Green member lamented the absence of. 
We look forward to hearing the Labour Party back us on legislation that will give longer sentences to those accused of crimes against children who are the most vulnerable within our society. No doubt there will be references to other cases that have been to the absolute shame of New Zealand society. We look forward to the Labour Party backing Government initiatives to remove the options of parole for the worst repeat violent offenders. If the Labour Party is prepared to back this legislation purely on the basis that the politics of not supporting it would only damn it within the headlines and over every bar leaner in the country then we look forward to the Labour Opposition backing the serious legislation that will soon come before the House that will deal significantly to repeat offenders.