Ngaro AlfredHon ALFRED NGARO (National): Mr Assistant Speaker thank you. I rise to take a call on the second reading of the Oranga Tamariki Legislation Bill and at the outset I want to indicate that from National we will be supporting this bill. Firstly we want to commend the Minister the Hon Tracey Martin for the work that she has conducted in regards to continuing on the work previously under the Hon Anne Tolley as well. As she has rightly indicated it's a work that was much needed. It was a transformation of the Children Young Persons and their Families Act and hence on to the Oranga Tamariki Act as well.I can remember being in the meetings at the Dingle trust over in Dilworth where a number of young people talked about extending the age of care but also the age within the youth jurisdiction and in the youth justice jurisdiction and the importance of that to include 17-year-olds up until the age of 18. So it's been consistent in that process. As we did previously we've extended the age of care up through from 17 to 18 and it was only right that we also then extend that age threshold up to the age of 18 in youth justice as well. So this bill is consistent with though that intent and that's critically important.The key aspect of this bill is to tighten up the legislation particularly around the procedures and processes relating to 17-year-olds within this youth justice jurisdiction. As I indicated previously under a National-led Government it transformed the outlook for children and that was quite critically important as we've heard as well. Many of the children talked about the need to still have support in that process of transition and we'll talk a bit more about that transition process as well. Also too it's finishing off the work to be completed by 1 July as the Minister has indicated.The purpose of the changes in 2017 obviously was to ensure vulnerable children and young people have the best chance to have a safe stable and loving home which will help them grow into successful independent adults. I think that's critically important. So while the changes and amendments are technical the underlying principle is that we want them to have that stability. I know previously when we've had the expert advisory panel and when they talked about this one of the critical issues under Whakarongo Mai and that the rangatahi that had been through this process both in care and in youth justice actually talked about was having a stable process to help transition them through their life journey. I think this is critically important and we mustn't forget that as well.A majority of the reforms of the Children Young Persons and their Families Act under the Oranga Tamariki Legislation Bill do come into force and include related charges for those 17-year-olds within the youth justice jurisdiction.I do want to again indicate as the Minister said this was to take effect on 1 July 2019. I however do have to—and we've always said this; I know the Minister's smiling there—say it's just about the timing. And you sure know this. It's in our departmental report and also too in the Social Services and Community Committee report. We were just a bit disappointed to say the least about the fact that it's legislation we would have supported anyway—and we still are—but we just sort of wondered with the time frame that we had with such important legislation why does it take so long? I'm not going to overstate it but I'm just going to keep putting it back on the record. I just think—and I know the Minister would agree as well—we just needed to get on with it and get it done but now we're having to rush that process.I do want to say though this is becoming a bit of a trend in other bits of legislation. So I thought well hang on just pause for a moment. Let's just have a see whether this legislation is a trend with other parts. So the average process—most people in the House will know—is around about six months. That's 182.5 days. That's the average process. Now it can differ in there. So the average of that would be around 130-140 days. But it is disappointing that we are seeing a trend here—that we are seeing a trend.If I think about the Arms (Prohibited Firearms Magazines and Parts) Amendment Bill which was for just cause that was six days. The Social Security (Winter Energy Payment) Amendment Bill—now that had to be rushed through; why because there was a drafting error last year—20 days. Let's look at the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Amendment Bill—29 days; Crown Minerals (Petroleum) Amendment Bill—33 days; Families Commission Act Repeal Bill—51 days. I can go on—I won't because then you'll tell me that I'm going outside of the scope. I just want to make a point that this is becoming a little bit shoddy and I just want to say to the members of the House they'd be saying exactly the same thing to us. If there is a pattern that's emerging then that's actually important because you have to give trust and confidence to the people that are out there who have actually elected us into roles of responsibilities. I'm not going to labour the point—sorry for the pun Mr Assistant Speaker—but I will say that I just think it's really important if it is significant pieces of legislation like this then let's just get it done in time. You wouldn't have had any arguments from this side. We would have supported it absolutely through the whole process. The only one key point that we just had a point of contention with is why did it have to be rushed in such a short time frame?In the time that I have I just want to point out a few of the technical areas that I think are really important—and especially for those who are out there in voter land that will be listening on their TVs tonight—about the significance of this bill and the importance of it. So I look forward to the committee of the whole House where the Supplementary Order Paper 247 will be put on to the Table just to clarify some of the technical and minor changes as well. I won't go through those because they'll be in the committee stage.I do want to talk about what comes out of the select committee report. There were some proposed amendments which I think are critically important and I just want to state for the listeners that are out there. So the 2017 Act differentiates between two types of offences for 17-year-olds: Schedule 1A which is specific serious offences and non - Schedule 1A less serious offences. Now this is an important point because a number of the submitters talked about this. If there were offences for those that were minors—those were youth and young people—were they still going to be able to go through an appropriate process to have a judicial process? So the answer is yes. For those offences that are Schedule 1A which would have a maximum penalty of 14 years' imprisonment then those offences will be then elevated to an adult court as well in that process.Where some of the challenges are that I think are really important are where in some cases there are complexities where there are both Schedule 1A and non - Schedule 1A offences. Again according to the bill it's been amended so that it will allow for both of those charges to be taken up and heard in one court hearing which will be in the adult court which means that again it actually has greater efficiencies that we think are critically important as well.The Oranga Tamariki Act will not consistently allow related charges for 17-year-olds to be heard with a Schedule 1A charge in the adult courts. This means there was a risk that two separate processes would be required to deal with the alleged offending that occurred at the same time as a series of related incidences or against the same person. The committee does not believe that it is in the best interests of the young person and complainants or witnesses to undergo a separate court proceeding for the same incident or of serious incidences as well.We are looking forward to the committee stage. We do support this bill through its process and into its completion. We look forward to its implementation. I want to say that the one thing that will be the role and responsibility of being in Opposition is ensuring that there is the capacity and capability to deal with those changes. I know we've had some reassurances on the other side. We look forward to them. The only reason we'd be holding that to account is because we don't want to have the unintended consequences of young people falling through the cracks falling through the system and the very intent that we've talked about in this bill which is to provide an appropriate transition process a safe and stable environment we think that's critically important. So it's to that end we will support this bill to the House.