McClay Todd: Children Young Persons and Their Families (Youth Courts Jurisdiction and Orders) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
McClay Todd: Children Young Persons and Their Families (Youth Courts Jurisdiction and Orders) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:660;Page:9343] 
TODD McCLAY (National—Rotorua) 
: 
 Good morning to my colleagues and to members opposite. As I was sitting having a good breakfast after a great night’s sleep I thought that all members might be in the same mood that I am in this morning but it is obvious from that last speech that some members in this House did not sleep as well as others. I would like to briefly thank a number of my colleagues and in particular the Minister for Social Development and Employment for bringing the Children Young Persons and Their Families (Youth Courts Jurisdiction and Orders) Amendment Bill to the House so quickly after the election for supporting the Social Services Committee in its work and for speaking so clearly about youth in New Zealand in all stages of this debate. Certainly yesterday the Minister spoke many times during the Committee stage and now during the third reading. 
I want to recognise other colleagues on my side of the House who worked on this policy when we were in Opposition. Anne Tolley certainly worked very hard on this as did Chester Borrows. Chester Borrows a member of Parliament whom I respect greatly has 20 years of experience as a policeman in our community working with the very young people whom members opposite were so quick to disregard during their term in office. Can I say—as I did during the second reading when Chester Borrows told the House that this bill will make a difference to young people—that I back what he said and I accept it fully. I would listen to Chester Borrows any day of the week before I would listen to a single member on the other side of the House as members opposite often have opinions but cannot back them up. I want also to recognise members of the select committee and the officials who worked very diligently for us over the last year. I thank submitters also. We heard from a wide range of submitters who had an opportunity to put their views— 
Hon Member 
: And they weren’t listened to. 
TODD McCLAY 
:—and they were listened to. We had great discussions. 
I will be very brief during this call because this is the last speech in the debate and Parliament is about to pass this bill. On 1 October the bill will come into effect. The bill will make a number of changes and it will make a number of changes for the 1000 worst youth offenders in New Zealand. The last speaker for the Opposition said that a small number of hardened offenders cause most of the problems in our society. I agree with her—but guess what? There are not just 1000. Every year those young people who commit crimes and get into trouble reach the age of 17 and they go on to fill up our adult prisons. Every year younger people start committing crimes and those 1000 young people stay in the group. What has happened over the last 9 years is that that group of 1000 young people has grown so it is about time the House took this issue seriously and did more to help these young people. 
The bill will expand the jurisdiction of the Youth Court to include 12 and 13-year-olds. This will enable the Youth Court to play a greater role in the support and rehabilitation of 12 and 13-year-olds who commit the most serious crimes. We are actually giving out a very important and very serious duty and power to the Youth Court. We heard from some submitters that there is concern that the Family Court had options available to it that the Youth Court would not have. Well guess what? The bill was changed so that a judge in the Youth Court can decide without intervention from others—members opposite or anybody else in this Parliament—whether a child should remain in that court or should be sent back to the Family Court. I have listened to the judges I have respect for them and I think that is an appropriate measure. 
The bill will also strengthen the Youth Court and expand its powers to give a new range of compulsory orders including parenting education. I would guess that the vast majority of the young kids who are getting into trouble and continuing to get into trouble from very early ages until they reach the age of 17 do not have family backgrounds that are the same as members in this House. I would guess that they do not have parents who spend enough time with them or care for them and therefore parenting orders to be directed by the court are a very good step in the direction of ensuring that parents realise that they have greater responsibility. Also provided are mentoring and drug and alcohol treatment programmes which are very important as we very clearly know that there are children who have problems with drugs and alcohol. 
I have heard about military style camps and this legislation will bring in such camps in order to bring respect and discipline to some of our worst repeat youth offenders. These camps are the most intensive intervention that there is in the bill and are intended to help get the lives of youth offenders back on track before they reach the age of 18 and end up in our prisons. There is also an option for longer supervision with residence; residence can increase from 3 months to 6 months and supervision can be up to 12 months. Another option is longer supervision with activity which is 6 months of activity and another 6 months of supervision. There will be more intensive monitoring. This is not just about children going before the Youth Court. It is also about judges being able to keep an eye on them. There is provision in the bill for electronic monitoring for repeat offenders and those who breach community orders. There is also judicial monitoring. 
I want to conclude so we can move on to other business but can I say to members opposite and to people listening this morning that we are not talking about young people who lead ideal lives. We are not talking about young people who have strong family support and backgrounds or supportive parents. We are talking about young people who have started on the path to serious repeat offending and we are talking about young people who are on a path directly to prison if the State does not intervene and give them more support. This bill gives those young people a chance and in some cases a last chance. I support it fully. Thank you.