Mark Ron: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Mark Ron: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:608;Page:5990] 
7.  
RON MARK (NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Police 
: What initiatives if any is he contemplating to deal with the increasing rate of Asian crime? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS (Minister of Police) 
: 
 The police deal with criminals regardless of race or creed. This Government has in the past funded and continues to fund initiatives to fight all crime. 
Ron Mark 
: Does one of the Minister’s initiatives include gagging the entire police force to stop its members from embarrassing the Prime Minister as has been reported in today’s  
New Zealand Herald 
—a bizarre response would he not agree given that by his own figures apprehension of people born in China for violent offences has leapt by a massive 297 percent? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The fact is that the apprehension rate of Asians per 10000 Asians fell from 117.7 in 1996 to 116.8 in 2001. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What is the philosophy of the police in dealing with crime? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I do encourage esoteric questions but that is a very very wide one indeed. The Minister may give a very brief comment. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The police discharge their oath and I quote “without favour or affection malice or ill will”. They are not interested in casting aspersions on groups of people in our community. It would be a pity if members of the House sitting opposite did cast aspersions because it would only stir up a climate of hate. 
Ron Mark 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I am going to take that as a direct shot at myself which I deem to be offensive. I ask for your protection; and my reason for requesting your protection from such aspersions— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: If that was an implied personal reflection on the member the Minister will withdraw and apologise. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: It was not a personal aspersion at all. 
Ron Mark 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That cannot possibly be the case when this Government and previous Ministers of Police have focused so heavily on Maori crime without one word about offence being taken. This issue needs to be dealt with as an issue as opposed to it being turned into a personal attack by a Minister on an Opposition member. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member has taken personal offence to it. I would now ask the Minister to withdraw and apologise. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Pansy Wong 
: Has the Minister consciously considered the practical and logical initiative of funding the Auckland police to implement the  
Auckland City District Police—Asian Responsiveness Strategic Plan 
 dated 26 October 2000? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: I am pleased to tell the member that the police are now helping fund a language telephone line and are surveying the Asian community about its needs. Police liaison officers are working with the community. There are talkback programmes and formal working relationships between the police and Chinese programmes and organisations. Of course the police also work with other groups to make sure that members of the Asian community are not victims of crime and are not singled out. 
Dr Muriel Newman 
: Is the Minister concerned about being asked about Asian crime in the light of Statistics New Zealand figures showing Maori conviction rates are double Pacific Island rates five times European rates and 10 times the other category which includes Asians; that being so what initiatives if any is he contemplating to deal with the increasing rate of Maori crime? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is outside the original question. The Minister may make a very brief comment in relation to the original question. 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: The police have many initiatives to fight crime wherever it occurs and whoever commits it. 
Ron Mark 
: When police officers like Senior Constable Steve Lamb of Auckland District Crime Manager Detective Inspector Kevin Baker Detective Inspector Gavin Jones of Auckland and Detective Sergeant Bob Kerr of Christchurch are all reported as saying that immigrant crime is escalating disproportionately and when his own figures out of his own office show the same thing why do the Minister and the Prime Minister continue to tell this House that the increasing rate of immigrant crime is low? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: Because it actually represents a very small number of people in the Asian community. Crime in the rest of the community is overrepresented being four times what it is in the Asian community. 
Ron Mark 
: What is the Minister doing to assist the New Zealand police force out there trying to keep our streets safe whose officers are required to deal with 300000 people in New Zealand who do not speak English? 
Hon GEORGE HAWKINS 
: I do not think the last statement is true. 
Ron Mark 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Unless the Government is about to deny its own figures is the Minister now calling me a liar? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No. The Minister is entitled to give his opinion which was perfectly adequate. 
Pansy Wong 
: I seek the leave of the House to table the document  
Auckland City District Police—Asian Responsiveness Strategic Plan 
 dated 26 October 2000. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.