SpeechHon KIRITAPU ALLAN (Minister of Justice): First can I just thank the member for his wide-ranging questions. If I've got them right I think the focus is on increased youth crime focused on ram raids; the crime prevention fund of $17 million; electoral law and law reform; and local democracy issues in particular section 7 vets. If I've missed any please just re-raise them and I'll try and get through them as best I can.In respect of the youth justice issues that have been raised first I just want to echo the sentiments about the concern that we as a Government have around this current spike in youth offending. I can say that I think many of us have been well engaged with police and others within the community to discuss a range of different ways that we might be able to address the issues. In particular I think the first and foremost issue that's come up in most of the discussions I've had with ministerial colleagues when we've been talking particularly about the youth ram raids and when we've been talking with the relevant agencies etc. is that with the uplift in over half a billion dollars to police to ensure there are more boots on the ground which is currently being rolled out and implemented up and down the country there is a great deal of confidence amongst police. And I think that's reverberating through to particular areas of the community when they can see a higher and greater police presence to be able to deter those young people that are committing offences. In addition I think it's fair to note that over the past 10 years we've seen a gradual decline and a continual decline in youth crime. That said the most recent statistics do show in Auckland in the central Auckland area and out in the south of Auckland region that in contrast to the national youth offending rate which is about 4 percent downward in those two particular centres there's an increase. In Auckland Central it's about 16 percent and—Hon Mark Mitchell: Under-reporting is a big problem there.Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: Yeah that's what I'm trying to say. There's been a 4 percent national decline but actually in the Auckland area we're seeing quite an increase of 16 percent. So that was the concerning part that I was just highlighting.Hon Mark Mitchell: The problem is there's a lot of under-reporting there.Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: Oh under-reporting. Sorry mate. I was trying to hear. I think what we're trying to do is make sure that the policy settings are right by ensuring that we've got more boots on the ground. There's a cross-agency approach that's been taken between justice police and a range of other ministries to look at those drivers of crime. So we've been investing in initiatives in those types of programmes that are aimed at bringing youth crime down. For example we can see in this year's youth justice indicators report recently published by the Ministry of Justice that a larger percentage of representation of young people that come through the courts identify as Māori but in those aged between 14 and 16 who appeared in the Youth Court we've seen a reduction by 51 percent from 2016 and 2017 to 2020 and 2021. That aligns with other decreases we've seen in other ethnicities: 45 percent. Also one of the initiatives we announced in Budget 2022 was the funding from proceeds of crime to assist smaller retailers to implement crime prevention measures. Those have included but are not limited to things like fog cannons physical barriers like bollards and other things to help ensure that communities feel more protected.Turning to the questions with respect to the crime prevention fund and in particular that $17 million I understand from the advice that I've received that the large focus of that funding has been for restorative justice providers family violence providers victim entitlements and Family Court programmes. Gang members are not funded and have not been funded from that $17 million.In respect of the local democracy issues and the two bills that the member raised specifically he'll be aware that for the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act vets for both of those bills the responsibility sits with the Attorney-General. So I'll allow him to direct his questions to him. Hon Paul Goldsmith: They're done by the Ministry of Justice.Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: The New Zealand Bill of Rights Act vets are administered by the Attorney-General so I'll allow him to answer. [Interruption]CHAIRPERSON (Ian McKelvie): Order! I remind members on both sides of the Chamber that you'll all have an opportunity to take a call and ask questions at the appropriate time.Hon KIRITAPU ALLAN: Well look as the Attorney-General oversees that particular aspect of this vote I think it's appropriate that he responds to those issues specifically. Finally on the electoral law reforms I think the question was: what funds had been directly apportioned and where? Mr Goldsmith do feel free to correct me if I've got that question wrong. There are a couple of things that we're doing with respect to electoral reform and the independent review. As the member has mentioned we're looking at the changes to the donation rule which I've already announced. We're looking at the cost implications of the Māori electoral option and the eligibility of Māori voters and the impact of these changes to them. First there was $1.64 million appropriated to Vote Justice for policy resource public engagement and specialist expertise to look at electoral changes before the 2023 general election. I can assure this committee that I'm confident in the work that has been done. I think that was the direct question of the member. I am confident with their work and we've seen and will continue to see that work produced to the select committee and subsequently to the House.We've also seen that the Electoral Commission has received $139.211 million of funding over the next four years from Budget 2022 for the delivery of next year's general election and planning and preparation for the subsequent 2026 general election and that does include delivery of the Māori electoral option changes. So that's been incorporated into that bulk appropriation for both of those general elections. Mr Goldsmith I'm happy to walk through this but I want to make sure I'm responding to your specific and actual questions. So please feel free to tell me if I've left some out. I'm happy to answer those as well.