Sepuloni Carmel: Corrections (Use of Court Cells) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Sepuloni Carmel: Corrections (Use of Court Cells) Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Sitting date: 24 November 2009. Volume:659;Page:8198. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
CARMEL SEPULONI (Labour) 
: 
 I begin by pointing out some of the comments that Mr Ardern made earlier. I think that the noise from his tractor has impaired his hearing in some way because he has not really been listening during the course of the debate. One thing he continues to say and a number of National members continue to say along with a few other members in the House is with regard to Labour’s track record for law and order over the last 9 years. It is one of their catchcries. They like to say what Labour did in 9 long years. Well what we did was reduce crime. They point out however that there was an increase in violent crime mostly family crime—domestic violence. I point out that Labour members on this side of the House will not apologise for an increase in reporting family violence during the 9 years that Labour was in Government; we will not apologise for that. The fact that there was an increase in reporting family violence is due as far as we are concerned to the fact that we did as much as we could to help women in violent situations. The fact that there was a high level of reporting says a lot about what the previous Labour Government did and we will not apologise for that. 
I point out to Mr Ardern and his colleagues that since the National Government has been in office we have seen a real increase in crime. It has been a real increase not just a perception that a few members of the House have decided to put out there. This increase has been recorded. 
I say to Mr Garrett who never yells in the House that for his sake I will look at the  
New Zealand Herald  
and also at a press release put out by the university that gives information on the fact there has been an increase in crime since the National Government came into power. We all know there is a correlation between poverty unemployment and crime. This Government has done nothing to solve the problems around unemployment and poverty. In fact all it has done is to implement policies that do nothing to help those who are the most vulnerable and therefore we are seeing an increase in crime. The reason this Government is putting this bill through as we have pointed out on a number of occasions throughout this debate is that it is in crisis. 
Mr Cosgrove pointed out something earlier that is a little bit concerning and would be concerning to the public. Why does National need to push this bill through before Christmas? We know there is something like 800 beds available in prisons at the moment. So why is there such a push to get this bill through—all of a sudden—before we hit Christmas? What is concerning to us is that the Government has access to forecasted numbers; we do not. So is it anticipating an even steeper increase in crime over the Christmas period? Is that the reason for getting this bill through to cope with the sheer numbers of prisoners whom it will not have the capacity to hold in the actual prisons and who will need to be held in court cells? If so the Government needs to take responsibility for that. Crime rises in line with poverty and unemployment and unfortunately it looks like we will possibly see an increase in crime during what should be our festive season. 
An issue that has come up over and over again in this debate concerns the security guards who are in the court cells. It has been pointed out that they are not trained prison officers; they are security guards in the courts. 
Sitting suspended from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.