McClay Todd: Electoral (Disqualification of Convicted Prisoners) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
McClay Todd: Electoral (Disqualification of Convicted Prisoners) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
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TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) 
: 
 It gives me pleasure to rise and speak on the Electoral (Disqualification of Convicted Prisoners) Amendment Bill presented to the House by Paul Quinn. I will read the middle part of the title again—“disqualification of convicted prisoners”. 
I congratulate Paul Quinn on having a little bit of the Green Party’s luck. I heard a member of the Green Party suggest one day that a bit of karma is involved when it comes to having a member’s bill drawn out of the ballot and we recognise that over the last year the Green Party has had many bills drawn. Well if anybody deserves karma in this area it is Paul Quinn and I want to recognise that fact right here. 
I support this bill very strongly for a number of reasons. The right to vote is an important right. It is a right that is exercised and enjoyed by all law-abiding citizens throughout this country and it is considered by law-abiding citizens to be a very important right. When people break the law in this country—and in many others—there are consequences. People who break the law lose a number of the rights that law-abiding people in New Zealand enjoy. The right to freedom is lost. I think everybody in this House would agree that people who commit crimes should lose their freedom. The right to association is also lost because of incarceration. 
Someone mentioned earlier that the right to stand for election to Parliament is lost. I believe that it is only proper that people lose their right to exercise their voice in society through their vote when they have been sentenced to a period of time in prison. I say to all those who hold their right to vote as precious to them that there is a simple way to retain that right and that is to not break the law. If they do break the law if they do commit a crime then I hold the right of a law-abiding person to vote to be more important. 
I have listened closely to the debate and I have enjoyed some very good interventions. I note that Hone Harawira spoke with some wisdom in some of these areas and I look forward to this bill going to a select committee if today’s vote allows so that we can hear more from others and from members of the public about their thoughts on the matter. 
After listening to the rhetoric from Labour members I say that Labour has shown again that it is soft on crime. Those members opposite are more concerned about the rights of the criminal than they are about the rights of the victim. If there was a way to give the criminals’ votes to their victims then I would very seriously consider supporting it. I say to members opposite that if Labour members were an effective Opposition in touch with the concerns of law-abiding citizens who hold the right to vote as being very important then they would be supporting this bill. But we have heard today of course that they are not an effective Opposition and they will not be supporting the bill. 
I believe that the majority of people in this House are committed to tackling crime and making our communities safer for Kiwi families. I believe that the majority of people in this House believe that the rights of law-abiding citizens should come before the rights of criminals. This bill makes it clear that our democratic rights as citizens include obligations to obey the law. When people break the law and are sentenced to prison they have not met their obligations to society and they therefore should lose the right to vote while they are in prison. 
I reiterate for the benefit of anybody who was not listening earlier that I support this bill very strongly. We have heard from others about a royal commission report some years ago and there are always different interpretations of it but very clearly the commission’s analysis is notable for its omission of any consideration as to the level of serious offending most prisoners have been convicted of prior to their eventually receiving a custodial sentence. The select committee will have an opportunity should this bill move beyond its first reading to look at that. It will have an opportunity to decide and to converse with New Zealanders about what they think is an appropriate level. 
I have read the bill and looked at it closely and I congratulate Paul Quinn. I think he has the level right. If people want to keep their right to vote if voting is an important right to them they should think about victims and not go out and commit crimes. I say to Paul that he will have my vote on this issue. Thank you.