Power Simon: Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Bill — First Reading 
Power Simon: Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:646;Page:15762] 
SIMON POWER (National—Rangitikei) 
: 
 I rise to support Chester Borrows in his efforts with the Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Bill. In his first term in Parliament Mr Borrows has acted on the wishes of his local district council and introduced this bill to try to do something about a problem that the council believes is of major concern to that community. 
In a time when we have seen violent crime rise by 43 percent since Labour took office; in a time when we have seen an organised crime strategy as the proposal to deal with some of these issues a strategy that has only recently been formalised finalised and released; at a time when we have seen no legislative amendments at all from this Government to deal with gang problems Mr Borrows is doing something about the problem. By promoting this bill Mr Borrows is acting on the wishes of his local community so that it can go to a select committee for submissions and further discussion. 
I listened carefully to the comments made by Mr Hide and the Hon Tariana Turia and it is correct that the bill is not without fish-hooks. 
Hon Member 
: That’s a very polite way of putting it. 
SIMON POWER 
: I am a very polite person. In his opening remarks Mr Borrows acknowledged that there was still work to do and that the intention of the bill and the definition of “gang insignia” would need some work to deal with some of the issues that other members of this House have raised this evening. 
The fact remains that freedoms for all individuals are important and I certainly agreed with Rodney Hide when he made that point. Ultimately the people of the community of Wanganui have as much right to wander the streets as those who choose to belong to particular groups or gangs. The issue has been of sufficient concern to the community for this bill to have come about in the first instance. When a council and a mayor say they are going to take action on an issue and promote a bill of this nature it is incumbent on the local member of Parliament to make sure that the Parliament has an opportunity to discuss and debate those issues. The select committee is the appropriate place for many of those more thorny issues surrounding the legislation to be discussed and hammered out. I imagine that it will take some time to get those definitions right. 
I conclude my short contribution by congratulating Chester Borrows on taking this matter to the point that he has tonight. It is not easy to balance the rights of all parties when it comes to legislation like this. Rather than sitting on a proposal for a local bill or a member’s bill that might not make a difference to the lives of constituents in one’s electorate Mr Borrows has taken the opportunity to do something worthwhile and allow the debate to continue by preparing a bill for the House that will ensure that these issues are given closer examination. I find it particularly heartening that the Labour Party has recognised Mr Borrows’ efforts in this regard and is making every endeavour to support his efforts in the Wanganui electorate. I am sure he will make that point in his right of reply later this evening. 
I conclude on that note and say that any measure brought to this House on behalf of a council or a local community to make the lives of those people living in those communities better is worth supporting at its first reading.