Macindoe Tim: Children Young Persons and Their Families (Youth Courts Jurisdiction and Orders) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Macindoe Tim: Children Young Persons and Their Families (Youth Courts Jurisdiction and Orders) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:660;Page:9019] 
TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West) 
: 
 I point out to the member who has just resumed his seat Iain Lees-Galloway who spoke about drug rehabilitation programmes and the effectiveness of the dollars spent that that of course is a major part of this programme so it is good to hear he is in support of it. However I suggest that he also talks to his colleague sitting beside him Lynne Pillay who pointed out just a short time before that that she and her colleagues are passionately opposed to every aspect of the Children Young Persons and Their Families (Youth Courts Jurisdiction and Orders) Amendment Bill. That member was not a part of the Social Services Committee which worked on this bill. I suspect that her comment will be news to her colleagues if she goes and speaks to them because there is much about this bill that her colleagues did support albeit they are obviously talking tonight about the things that they did not support. 
This debate is on Part 1 of a very important bill. I am proud to speak in support of it. As my colleagues have pointed out tonight we campaigned on this major initiative. We are doing it with a mandate from the people of New Zealand. I think many who have listened to some of the things coming from members opposite tonight will be saying “May it be a very very long time before that party with that rigid and outdated thinking ever returns to office.” This is a pragmatic measure it is a compassionate measure it is an effective measure it is based on common sense—[ 
Interruption 
]—and most important I say to Dr Prasad and Miss Ardern it is based on practical needs and evidence. It is not based on blinkered thinking and outdated rigid ideology. 
It is very important for the Labour members if they are going to continue this line of attack to confront the reality that the Police Association strongly endorsed this measure when it appeared before the select committee. It may be that others disagreed with the Police Association but it is the Police Association and the officers whom it represents who are at the front line of dealing with these issues. The men and women of our police are the ones who are out there day in and day out dealing with those young offenders. Remember we are talking about a thousand of the most seriously at risk seriously disturbed and seriously dangerous young people in our community. If we are not prepared to give our wholehearted backing to the police then God help this country! They are the people whom we really depend upon to do something at the front line and turn this issue round. 
What is the message that members opposite want to send to our front-line police? They are concerned that this measure is too tough. They demean this measure with dishonest slogans such as “boot camps”. The deputy leader of the Labour Party earlier this evening suggested that it was akin to putting an eggbeater in the tool box. It is clear that her preferred style of eggs reflects her thinking: thoroughly scrambled. She was also opposed to intensive periods of supervision and suggested that this measure will not work. 
So I will turn her questions and her comments back on her. What is her evidence for that claim? Why is the member for Rongotai opposed to the wraparound services that will accompany the supervision that this measure has at its heart? Does she oppose drug and alcohol rehabilitation programmes for the young? If she does I can tell her that the member for Palmerston North has just been telling us how important they are. Does she oppose mentoring? Many of her colleagues actually have told us at other times that that is an important aspect as well. Does she oppose parenting courses for our youth at risk who are already parents? Most of us know that some of the youngest parents in our country are also delinquents who are severely at risk and their young children therefore are greatly at risk as well. I want to do everything I can to protect those children of today those children of tomorrow. This measure will go a long way towards helping us to do just that. 
Then the deputy leader of the Labour Party also lectured us about the cessation of the Te Hurihanga programme in my city. Let me say to that member that no one in this House opposes the intention of the Te Hurihanga programme and we share the respect of members opposite for the providers. But we have to acknowledge that it is horrendously expensive and it caters for a very small number of offenders. We have to ensure that we reach a much larger number of youth with the considerable sum that we are investing in dealing with youth offending. Contrary to the misinformation that members opposite have been spreading on this issue I pay my compliments to the Youth Horizons Trust team which have been running that programme. I hope that they will transfer their expertise and commitment to the Fresh Start programmes that will be run from the same facility in Hamilton East in the years ahead. 
Hon Annette King 
: What nonsense! 
TIM MACINDOE 
: Of course they will because the Youth Horizons Trust already runs a whole range of programmes. It is a respected provider. There is no criticism of the trust. It has the skills and the commitment to run a wide range of programmes and that is what it is already doing. I thank the trust for that but we cannot afford that particular programme.