Ngaro Alfred: Family Court Proceedings Reform Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Ngaro Alfred: Family Court Proceedings Reform Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 04 December 2012. Volume:686;Page:7037. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
ALFRED NGARO (National) 
: 
 I rise to take a call on the Family Court Proceedings Reform Bill. The Hon Phil Goff read from the Family Court review regulatory impact statement. He talked about the gaps and the uncertainties and the significant constraints. He also talked about the engagement with key stakeholders. What he carefully did was leave out a sentence that said this: “There has been extensive consultation on identifying the issues facing the Family Court and the options for reform. Consultation included meeting with stakeholders a public consultation paper and an online questionnaire for court users.” In April 2011 Cabinet directed the Ministry of Justice to undertake a review of the Family Court. In response to serious concerns raised by court users which included the public judges lawyers and counsellors the review found that in addition to concerns about rapidly rising costs the court lacked sufficient focus on meeting the needs of children. 
Comments were made that we members of the National Party do not know what ordinary lives are for ordinary people. I have been an advocate and a supporter in the Family Court. I have seen the heartache and the distress that that has caused. In the Family Court it has been adversarial. It has been negative for children. It is not focused enough on the most serious cases even of domestic violence. As a previous member of the national Taskforce for Action on Violence within Families and proudly wearing as an ambassador the White Ribbon I say that we even on this side do understand the causes of domestic violence and the effect that it has on both women and children. The courts are spending too much time on simple private matters that are better resolved outside the court. It is too complex and in recent years has had a huge growth in costs despite the overall number of applications. 
The purpose of the Family Court Proceedings Reform Bill is to ensure a modern accessible family justice system that is responsive to children and vulnerable people and is efficient and effective. It is an omnibus bill. It amends nine different Acts. As was commented it has been over 30 years since there has been any form of review so this Government has taken that initiative. The changes in the bill will be supported by the amendments to the Family Court rules of 2002. 
There are three key provisions in this bill. The bill establishes a Family Disputes Resolution process to focus the family justice system towards supporting people to resolve their disputes where appropriate out of court. I have personally seen the heartache and the heartbreak that descends when children have been at the centre of these disputes. In the regulatory impact statement it was very clear under “Status quo” that the proposals for reform focus largely on the resolution of parenting disputes. For so long the focus has been on adults. The focus has not been on the provision to care for the needs of our young and our most vulnerable. This bill is about caring for those who are most in need. I commend this bill to the House.