Macindoe Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Macindoe Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Sitting date: 13 September 2012. Volume:683;Page:5216. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
5. 
TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West) 
 to the  
Minister of Justice 
: What steps is she taking to support victims of crime and put them at the heart of the justice system? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Justice) 
: 
 I am very pleased to announce that the Government is extending funding of $1 million a year for the Victims Centre until June 2014. Over the past year the victims’ information freephone line received almost 18000 calls and more than 20000 people have accessed support through the Victims Information website. Extending funding will mean the Victims Centre can continue its monthly newsletter for people and groups working with victims its regular fora with Government and non-government agencies and its direct engagement with victims to make sure that their experiences influence services. 
Tim Macindoe 
: How else is the Victims Centre contributing to the Government’s commitment to put victims at the heart of the justice system? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: The Victims Centre has been drafting a Victims Code working with Government and non-government agencies that work with victims researching best practice for victims going through the justice system managing services and grants funded through the offender levy and improving information for victims. The Victims Code will enshrine legally enforceable rights for victims set out services available to them and set out the duties and responsibilities of Government agencies. To ensure victims of crime receive the support they need the Victims Centre will also be a critical point of coordination with the New Zealand Police and the Department of Corrections and will play a crucial role in delivering our Better Public Services results action plan focus on supporting repeat victims. 
Tim Macindoe 
: What other steps is the Government taking to put victims at the heart of the justice system? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: We have introduced the offender levy to pay for victim services which has been hugely successful. We will reduce unnecessary parole hearings so that victims do not have to go through the stress of attending parole hearings every year for offenders who are unlikely to get parole anyway. We will increase penalties for child pornography offences introduce public protection orders to keep people safe from serious violent and sexual offenders and make changes to the law to ensure that offenders cannot live close to their victims. 
Charles Chauvel 
: Will she further assist to put victims of crime and their families at the heart of the justice system by agreeing to Labour’s recommended amendment to the Victims of Crime Reform Bill to have the Law Commission consider the position of the families of murdered victims of crime who are forced to sit through trials where their deceased family member’s reputation is completely denigrated; if not why not? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: I may be wrong but I am not sure that that member has put that issue to me before. I would certainly be happy to look at it. 
Charles Chauvel 
: Although it is a public document the Minister clearly has not seen it so I seek leave to table the minority report of the Labour Party on the Victims of Crime Reform Bill— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is this a select committee report? No we do not table select committee reports. 
Charles Chauvel 
: Well— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! We do not table select committee reports. 
Charles Chauvel 
: Point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Does the member have a further supplementary question? 
Charles Chauvel 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is a genuine question. If the Minister has not seen the report how do I draw it to her attention? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I will hear the Hon Judith Collins. 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: I think the member may have misheard me. I said I did not believe he had spoken to me about it or referred it to me. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! No we are not going to litigate this by way of point of order. That is not a point of order and neither was the member’s a point of order. And we do not table select committee documents.