McClay Todd: Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2) — First Reading 
McClay Todd: Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2) — First Reading 
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TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) 
: 
 It is a privilege to rise this evening in our Parliament to speak on the Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2). I say it is a privilege because I think this legislation is particularly important when one digs down deeply into what it is to achieve. It will create a new offence of failure to protect a child or vulnerable adult. 
Protection of vulnerable people—and particularly children—is important to everybody in this House and when we move outside of this House we find that it is of particular importance to many New Zealanders. Children and the elderly are among the most vulnerable in our society. It appals me—but more than that it saddens me—to pick up the newspapers on far too many occasions and read about the horrific abuse of young people and of children by the very people in our society who should be caring about them the most. I think all Governments have grappled with the problem of child abuse—why it happens where it stems from and what we can do about it. I am very proud as a member of John Key’s National-led Government to say that I believe we have brought some important changes through this Parliament over the last 2½ years to start to deal with what is a horrific problem for society in New Zealand. 
There are probably many reasons why when we pick up our newspapers we read about child abuse but although there are reasons I cannot think of a single reason that is an excuse for what I read about in our newspapers. Child abuse happens all over New Zealand and with different people in all walks of life. In many situations it is clear that others family members and supporters who live in the house must have known that the situation the young child is in is not a fair or good situation and that they are in some form of danger or are being challenged. It is not too much to ask for this House—in fact I believe that New Zealanders want us to go as far as we reasonably can—to protect these young people and to make it a crime if an adult in a position to do something to save a child’s life and to protect them from horrible harmful abuse does not step in and do so. Each of us has a duty not only to our own family members and children but to those around us—our neighbours and anybody out there who is vulnerable—to step in where we can and support them. I do not believe that it is too much for us in this Parliament to say to New Zealanders that where they can take some action they must and that if they are negligent in that duty then they should be brought to account. 
We should not be punitive or pass sentence upon people although I am sure there will be many occasions where some people should have acted knew they must act and chose wilfully not to and I am not opposed to the law dealing with them fully. We should send a message to all New Zealanders that child abuse is not acceptable. It is something that none of us wants there is no reason for it there is certainly no excuse for it and if someone turns a blind eye then they will be held to account. If we can spread that message throughout this country I am hopeful—in fact I believe—that many more New Zealanders will look over the fence will look at what is happening in the next room or the next bedroom and say that it is their duty to stand up for that young vulnerable person. 
There is a lot of detail in the bill and a lot of other things. The Green member Keith Locke spoke a moment ago about some other areas of the bill. I have less concern about some of those areas than those members do. I will not go into them in any great detail today; I do not want to water down my message about the appallingness of child abuse. I think the Greens will talk about the other issues in great detail. I also ask New Zealanders from all walks of life and with all experience of this issue to come forward when the bill goes to the Social Services Committee and to let us know their thoughts. I think a number of people in New Zealand will say that the bill is a great start that it is putting a line in the sand and that it is telling others what we expect but we have so much further to go as a Government as a Parliament but also as a society. 
On a final note before I conclude since we started this debate—and I am sure it will happen after I have spoken—members opposite have been talking about the appropriateness of the bill going to the Social Services Committee. I say to members opposite that the committee is a very hard-working committee. We have dealt with a number of issues regarding young people and other issues of law. I believe that not only are we capable but we will undertake our duties responsibly. Some of the Labour members who do not sit on the committee and have said we are not capable do a great injustice to their members of that committee who I know will join with the Government to work as well as we can to make sure that where we can protect young people we do because it is our duty and our responsibility. Indeed that is why we have been elected. Thank you.