Pillay Lynne: Bail Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Pillay Lynne: Bail Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:651;Page:527] 
LYNNE PILLAY (Labour) 
: 
 I am glad that the Minister took a call but I urge him to take another call and give a more comprehensive explanation to the questions he was asked. I acknowledge Metiria Turei’s speech because she made some extremely valid points in terms of the politicising of this really important issue the knee-jerk reaction and the going for the populist line on things. National has claimed that it would be tough and that this bill would be a really really important tool in terms of its commitment to dealing with crime. I actually think that National has almost committed itself to stopping crime in New Zealand—is that right—but by its very presence this bill implies that Labour’s 2007 amendment legislation had a detrimental effect on remand. By its very presence that has to be the case the Minister and the National Government are putting up. 
Labour knows that the figures show that that is simply not the case—that the remand prison population has continued to grow at a rate greater than the sentenced population despite the 2007 amendment to the Bail Act. In July 2007 remands which included prisoners held in police stations totalled 1733 and comprised 21 percent of the total prison muster. By July 2008 remands had increased by almost 6 percent and constituted 23 percent of the total prison muster. I agree with Metiria Turei that the measure of our effectiveness in crime prevention in New Zealand should not be in terms of the numbers of people on remand. But the Government’s argument is that this bill is so important—and this is what I still want the Minister to explain—that it has to be pushed through in urgency. 
I would very much like Sandra Goudie to take a call. As chair of the Law and Order Committee I believe that it would be very appropriate— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: The law and order “tsar”! 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: Sorry the member was not listening; I will say it again: I would like Sandra Goudie to take a call on this bill. I am sure that she as chair of the Law and Order Committee—and I have sat very occasionally with Sandra Goudie on committees—like all other members values the input of submissions and the select committee process. I think everyone in this House would acknowledge that that process is a very good idea. We see that it is a very effective process. We see bills go to that committee that are at the very most thrown out that do not go forward. They may be unchanged but often and more appropriately they are changed because we get constructive ideas coming through. Those are not always criticisms; they are often technical points. Yes I hope Sandra Goudie is speaking to the Minister and I am hoping she can take a call. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Where is she going? 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: I am not allowed to say what is happening now but I do hope she will take a call. 
I do not think the Minister has answered the question. In fact I made a note of one of his responses which was that part of the reason for the bill was to tidy up this issue. But I take Metiria Turei’s point. If we are tidying an issue up why are we in urgency depriving the public of a say and pushing through a bill that National and ACT it seems to me have acknowledged will really not have very much effect. 
I have not heard the Maori Party take a call on this. 
Hon Member 
: They did! 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: Sorry it did earlier. But if that is the case I am still completely perplexed as to why the Bail Amendment Bill is being pushed through in urgency. Given Labour’s 2007 amendment which was to clarify the law promote consistency in decision making and respond to judicial decision I would like to hear the Minister again explain how this bill will achieve that or improve on that. I think those are very important points. The Minister has talked about ambiguity and surely that scrutiny should have been made at a select committee.