Dowie Sarah: Objectionable Publications and Indecency Legislation Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeDowie Sarah: Objectionable Publications and Indecency Legislation Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 24 February 2015. Volume:703;Page:1887. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]SARAH DOWIE (National—Invercargill): Thank you for allowing me to take this call in the second reading of the Objectionable Publications and Indecency Legislation Bill. I want to thank the Justice and Electoral Committee and the Hon Amy Adams for spearheading this and for bringing it to the House. We have already heard from members opposite and from members on the Government benches that this is an important bill.Of course I am very passionate about children too and pleased to be speaking about the bill. I certainly take the point of a member opposite Mr Faafoi that it is not a pleasure to be talking about these offences but that it is certainly a pleasure to be aiding the protection of children. I am a mother and as I said I am very passionate about children and protecting them but as we have witnessed around the House you certainly do not need to be a mother or a father to have fierce motivation to support this bill. I note that there was good work done in the select committee and that when the bill was brought to the House there was unanimous support for it despite the contribution of New Zealand First. I am looking forward to supporting this bill.This bill is all about ensuring that the sentences for those who deal with objectionable material involving children reflect the seriousness of the offending. I must say that the exploitation the cruelty the violence the horror and the abuse of children will certainly not be tolerated by this Government. With the evolution of the internet offenders can obtain objectionable materials quickly and at rates that we just could not imagine even a couple of years ago. We have already heard about accessibility through networking sites sharing of photos through Snapchat and text messaging. Communications such as these are making it so easy for people to connect but also very easy for adults to connect in communications with children. As part of that obviously this bill brings in an amendment—clause 13—that is the major change and covers the gap making it an offence to have indecent communication with anyone under 16 years of age.The bill takes the matter further too with the object of grooming where those people take it one step further with a view to meeting those children and putting them in harm’s way. I will just reiterate that this Government will not tolerate exploitation and violence towards children so I am totally supportive of that amendment.The bill also talks about the presumption of imprisonment for repeat offenders and I think that that is fair enough. There should be that presumption. If somebody is dealing in objectionable material and they have done that time and time again then they should be punished. I take the point mentioned earlier that these people are dealing with deep-rooted psychological issues and they will certainly be treated through specialist programmes but I reiterate that this bill is about making the punishment fit the crime and it must be looked at in that way. The sentences have been extended to support that and as such I commend the work of the Justice and Electoral Committee spearheaded by the Hon Amy Adams. I commend this bill at its second reading.