Dean Jacqui: Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Bill — Third ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeDean Jacqui: Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Bill — Third Reading[Sitting date: 07 August 2013. Volume:692;Page:12482. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki):I do not know quite how to follow that contribution that fine Churchillian contribution by the member opposite Richard Prosser delivered with such passion. But is that not what this House is all about? Is that not what this bill is all about? Is not this Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Bill about New Zealand society caring enough to do something about a part of our society that causes unending problems and heartache for some people? So I want to congratulate Richard Prosser. He has entertained us. It was a wonderful speech but the point is that he is absolutely right. I am so pleased that New Zealand First is supporting the bill in the name of Mark Mitchell because it is a bill that deserves to be supported.The board of trustees from Murupara Area School came to the Law and Order Committee and made some very strong points to us. What they said was that they loved their school as parents and trustees and community members. They loved their school they loved their children and they loved their community. They wanted nothing more for their community than for their children to be able to go to school enjoy their time at school learn and then get home safely. That is what we all want for our children. The problem is that in Murupara they could not do that. Why? Because of the influence of the gangs in the community. That influence was reaching not just through the streets of the town but right into the school right into the playground and they wanted to put a stop to it. It is as simple as that. That community that school community wanted to put a stop to the intimidation of gangs in their community so they came to our committee the Law and Order Committee in support of this bill. They came to our Law and Order Committee in support of giving police the power to seize without warrant gang patches of gang members and then if the gang members were to be found guilty to have the patches destroyed. The police support this bill because they know—they know—that the gang patch is the badge of honour for these people. Taking away that badge of honour leaves them with what? It leaves them with nothing. And that is where we should be with these people in New Zealand.What has been so terribly difficult for the Labour members opposite is that they have found themselves in a trap of having to oppose everything just because they are the Opposition. Members like Phil Goff and Kris Faafoi have found themselves in theposition of having to oppose something that they know fundamentally is a good measure and is welcomed throughout sectors like the police and like communities that really know and understand the impact that gangs have on them. Labour members have found themselves in this awkward position of having to find reasons to oppose the bill. So we have had Phil Goff canvassing that perhaps the bill is ridiculous because you could walk along a walkway but what if it has a roof? Well OK let us just tighten up the definition in the bill. That is no reason to oppose it. It must have been very awkward for Kris Faafoi when members of the Whitireia Community Law Centre from Porirua came to the committee in support of this bill for very good reason. It must have been very difficult for Kris Faafoi to keep opposing this bill when his own constituents—his own constituents his own community—came to the Law and Order Committee in support of this bill.I am proud of this bill. I think Todd McClay did exactly the right thing in introducing this bill to the House. I think the bill has been well taken up by his colleague Mark Mitchell who is also a man who understands fundamentally that the measures in this bill will go a long way to addressing the problem of gangs in New Zealand. Of course it is not going to fix the problem—Richard Prosser wants it to we all want it to and good on him for expressing that thought—but it will send a message in the strongest terms to the gangs of New Zealand that enough is enough and that this Parliament takes the issue seriously. I commend the bill to the House.