12. Question No. 12—JusticeHon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of JusticeQuestion No. 12—Justice12. Hon PAUL GOLDSMITH (National) to the Minister of Justice: Is she confident the Government has the correct priorities in justice?Hon GINNY ANDERSEN (Minister of Justice): Yes. This Government's focus on justice is clear: we're backing the police with the rules and the tools they need to tackle crime; we're putting victims at the centre of our work; and we're focused on youth offending and cracking down on organised crime. We will continue to create opportunities to break the cycle of offending through programmes that we know are working and we'll ensure that there is strong accountability and consequences for those who don't take up the opportunities that they are provided.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Will she drop the Government's target of reducing the prison population by 30 percent regardless of the level of crime in our communities?Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: No. The two factors that we've seen in the reduction of main offences are for drug offences and traffic offences according to the information received from Corrections.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Shouldn't the priority in justice be to reduce the number of victims of crime rather than the number of prisoners regardless of the level of crime in our communities?Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: The track record of this Government is far better than the previous one who cut funding to Victim Support. Since National left office this Government has tripled the funding to the Victim Assistance Scheme and doubled the funding to Victim Support. As already stated today we have already passed the Sexual Violence Legislation Act and also established Te Aorerekura and we'll also introduce a bill to give greater protections and rights to the victims of family and sexual violence. My focus is on a justice system where victims are heard and that is exactly what we are doing.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Isn't the thing that victims are most concerned about not to be a victim of crime and how has her Government made progress when there are 33 percent more violent crimes being committed under her watch?Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: Under this Government police numbers have soared to their highest levels in history. Operation Cobalt has cracked down on organised crime. New legislation has been passed that enabled police to search 26 vehicles seize firearms 11 other weapons and make arrests in Ōpōtiki. National's track record on crime is not tough. They closed over 30 police stations froze Police's budget let numbers of police fall and cut funding for Victim Support.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Is she confident the sentencing laws are right when convicted serious violent offenders routinely receive home detention which by the way doesn't necessarily mean staying at home?Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: I agree that perpetrators of serious crimes need to be held to account. The Government has not lowered any penalties for individual offences since we have been in office and decisions in sentences are a matter for the judiciary something that members of the party opposite don't seem to understand and saw dangerously close to the very fabric of our democratic institutions.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Point of order Mr Speaker. I was asked about the sentencing laws; I was not asking about the sentencing decisions and her comment was way off beam in relation to that matter.SPEAKER: Well I don't think so.Hon Paul Goldsmith: All right. Why does she believe no restriction should be placed on the ability of judges to reduce sentences?Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: The Government has not lowered any penalties for individual offences and those decisions are made by the judiciary and are before the courts and that is a matter for the judiciary not a matter for these members in this House.Hon Paul Goldsmith: Point of order Mr Speaker. She didn't answer my question. My question was: why does she believe no restrictions should be placed on the ability of judges? And she said—that's an appropriate question. That's not a way to answer a question.SPEAKER: I'll go back and check the Hansard but in my mind it's been answered.David Seymour: Over what time period does the Minister claim that the first- and second-most prevalent reductions in offender type in prison were traffic and drug offences and will she table the Corrections material she referred to as having given her that information in her earlier answer to a supplementary?Hon GINNY ANDERSEN: The specificity of the primary question—I have that information and I'm more than happy to make it available to that member.