Ngaro AlfredHon ALFRED NGARO (National): Thank you Madam Assistant Speaker. As it is the first time since the Christchurch tragedy that I've been able speak in the House can I just briefly give my condolences to those families that have lost their loved ones and also to the city too. I want to acknowledge the solidarity that has been given right across the whole of the nation in this regard and so with that I give my remarks for that.I stand on behalf of the National Party as supporting this bill—at its first reading—to the select committee. I want to acknowledge the Hon Tracey Martin and the work that she has put in in putting this legislation forward so that we can progress what is as she has said a very technical piece of legislation which completes the original legislation that was put through in July 2017. In saying that it is a bit of a concern that we've now fast-tracked to here because we were in the process of about eight weeks—if I take it rightly—from the report-back date that's now being given. We would have hoped again that there would have been more time. So I want to go on the record on behalf of the caucus to register our concern where again we are now beginning to see for no just cause process being rushed when we could have had an opportunity where we would have had a bit more time to be able to go through a submissions process—again so that others could contribute to that. I'll allude to some of those concerns that will be raised I believe through the submissions process as well. But I do want to go on record about the issue around the fact that again we are rushing a piece of legislation that we are supporting right across the House. I want to make remarks to the comments that the Minister's made in regard to the original bill in 2017 that was passed in this House where she made the remark that it was by majority. Unfortunately it wasn't by majority with the support of New Zealand First. I have looked through the Hansard and the remarks that have been made by the spokesperson of that time for New Zealand First which was Darroch Ball. On his remarks looking through the Hansard right the way through the first reading second reading the committee of the whole House and the third reading he was disparaging in the sense of where the then current Government the National-led Government was progressing this form of legislation—that actually is before the House as we speak today. In his remarks he would say and indicate: There was so much promise opportunity. It has been wasted. Issues around living costs: none of these will have been addressed. A number of issues that are to do with issues of youth in the justice system have not been addressed in this current bill."—which is the current bill that is before the House.So while across this House and on the side of the House we are in full support of this legislation I just want to go on the record again: it wasn't by full support of New Zealand First in that regard. So I want to go on the record of saying that I'd like to hear from New Zealand First if there are other speakers in regard to what they see has changed which has shifted their position to where they are now inside the House with this piece of legislation that's before us. This bill is a bill that is an omnibus bill. It gives full effect to the aspects of Children Young Persons and Their Families (Oranga Tamariki) Legislation Act 2017 and by seeking to ensure that the benefits of the policy do include 17-year-olds in the youth justice jurisdiction and are fully realised in addressing drafting errors in the original 2017 Act. This bill tightens up legislation particularly around procedures and process related to 17-year-olds within the youth justice system. Can I go on the record to acknowledge the Hon Anne Tolley who was the Minister at that time who put through this legislation? It was significant because the initiation of this was probably one of the most significant shifts within about 30 years of the Children Young Persons and Their Families Act and also within the whole sector itself shifting from what was in a sense just under the Children Young Persons and Their Families Act to then include Oranga Tamariki in its focus and refocusing its direction and its purpose and hence the reason why this technical side of it is important.One of those in particular to the scope of this bill that's before the House is increasing the age of care. I like other members also heard the submissions and actually went to those residential facilities for youth. It was there that they petitioned us lobbied us to ensure that we would increase that age of care. Many of these young people in their words would say "We need at least another year. We need another year so that we can have that support." But at the same time in this particular area here in regard to youth justice and the jurisdiction that is there it is to also take into account I suppose in a sense for young people as we would understand and determine in regard to the ages going through the justice system as well. So we all agreed that it was the appropriate thing to raise that age of care but also from 17-year-olds in regard to the implications of that into the youth justice system as well. So I want to acknowledge the Hon Anne Tolley and the work that she had completed as well. The purpose of the changes made in 2017 was to ensure vulnerable children and young people have the best chance to have safe stable and loving homes which will help them grow into successful independent adults as well. A majority of the reforms in the Children Young Persons and Their Families (Oranga Tamariki) Legislation Act come into force on 1 July including the reforms relating to those 17-year-olds as well. Can I just make some remarks to this which are to the Minister to take notice of as we go through the submission process because while this is important legislation that we will support some of the implications that I believe will come through in a submission process from those inside of our communities will be in regard to the residential facilities for youth in our community especially with youth justice as a concern. I've had people talk to me in regard to this piece of legislation as it's about to come through the House and into select committee. For instance I'll give an example: in communities like in Manurewa for instance where I know that Oranga Tamariki is looking at a re-designation of a care facility and in this regard to extend it to a care facility not only for those in protection but also for those within the youth justice jurisdiction relating in particular to the scope of this bill. The concerns for them is that (1) will their safety issues be addressed? Secondly is it an issue that the fact is that those facilities in regard to the occupancy—do we have enough facilities to care and cater for the needs that will also arise after the 1 July from this piece of legislation as well? So I just want to put that on the table in an open and transparent way for the Minister to be able to take that into consideration. I know that it will be part of the submissions process heading through when we discuss this bill in the select committee process as well. So my remarks are that we on this side do support this legislation. We are concerned that again we are rushing through a process where there was no need there was time and we could have actually had a proper and full process. I do acknowledge that we've had a departmental statement that's here as part of this. We would have felt though that with enough time we could have actually had a fuller process of submissions hearings and advice that would have come through and then gone through into the House. But it is such that the Government has determined it will come back at the end of May. We will support that because we believe it's important—that legislation should be completed in the appropriate time. So we support and commend this bill to the House."