Borrows Chester: Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2) — In Committee 
Borrows Chester: Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2) — In Committee 
[Volume:675;Page:21327] 
CHESTER BORROWS (National—Whanganui) 
: 
 It is a privilege to speak in this debate and to reflect the view that came through from the public and agencies that we really need to do something. The public of New Zealand are ready to step up in terms of the provisions of the Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2). They want to have the opportunity to actually hold to account people who choose to close their eyes and step back from those abhorrent incidents that happen right within view. We heard for instance—or it was retold to us—the names of those on a tragic list of young people who have been abused and murdered in this country. We heard people recite shock at the neighbours of people like Nia Glassie. The neighbours saw her placed on the roof they saw her on the clothes line their children came home and reported the incidents of her being put in a dryer and they stood back did nothing and took no action. Now they have to live with the fact that they did that. 
This country is coming to terms very clearly with the belief that it is our responsibility to get involved. People use the quote—and it was used in the House last night—about it requiring a village to raise a family. Well the village is ready to step up and take that role. I am pleased to see that we will receive support on this bill largely from across the House and so it needs to be. 
I will also reflect on other provisions within the bill that relate to for instance the new offences around sexual grooming. This is a fairly intricate provision. It means that it is a crime for a person who is setting about sexually grooming somebody in cyberspace whom they believe to be a minor—but who in fact may be a police officer or other investigator posing as a minor—to turn up in a situation or to arrange a meeting in a situation where they are preparing to commit a crime. The reason why this is not an offence at the moment is that it is not the penultimate act towards committing that crime and it does not fit within the purview of the offence of preparing to commit a crime under the Summary Offences Act. 
We needed to extend the law to take account of these advances in technology and the ways in which desperate deviant people set about using information technology to attract their prey through sexual grooming and go on to commit sexual offences. We had a gap in the law that has been created by technology and that had not been filled by previous legislation. Offenders did not have the ability to contact victims or supposed victims in order to perpetuate their own deviant behaviour. So the amendment or addition to the Crimes Act that allows the investigation of this type of crime is very right and proper. I am also pleased to see that that particular part of this bill received wide support. I do not like it but I understand that the Greens were supportive enough of this particular part albeit they will not be supporting the bill in its entirety. I do not understand that in any way whatsoever. 
The substantial part of this bill is around expanding the duties of care as previously outlined by the Minister of Justice to bring into line a community responsibility—which the community has flagged to the Government and previous Governments the need for—to extend for instance to those people who do not have a familial or blood relationship as a parent the need for them to take action when they see crimes being committed when a crime of neglect is being committed or when omissions are occurring that have a substantially criminal and detrimental effect on young people or alternatively on older people who are the most vulnerable and in need of our care.