Harawira Hone: Justices of the Peace Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Harawira Hone: Justices of the Peace Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:638;Page:8364] 
HONE HARAWIRA (Maori Party—Te Tai Tokerau) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Assistant Speaker. Tena tatou i te Whare. We heap so many accolades upon our justices of the peace that I am surprised we do not all just resign from our jobs here and hand it over to the Royal Federation of New Zealand Justices’ Associations to run the country. 
I would like to take just a short call on the Justices of the Peace Amendment Bill to share a few of the Maori Party’s views on the training discipline and retirement proposals for justices of the peace and in particular the views we draw from the considerable experience of our co-leader Dr Pita Sharples a JP of long standing himself. Dr Sharples was appointed as a JP in 1978 after considerable persuasion by people working in the courts who were quite taken by his efforts and the success of a community court programme for criminal offenders that he had pioneered and a restorative justice programme that he was chairing in Auckland. 
The Royal Federation of New Zealand Justices’ Associations tells us that our JPs serve in their role primarily voluntarily but that because they hold public office the royal federation has had to do quite a bit of work over the years to improve policies and practices to try to get good training so that JPs can properly carry out their roles. We support the recommendation from the Dunedin Community Law Centre that if we truly value the work of our JPs we should make sure they get some decent training in the role before taking the oath. We also support the recommendation of the Law and Order Committee that full training be completed before appointment so that the quality of work of potential JPs is guaranteed to be to the level and satisfaction required by the courts and the public at large. 
The training for JPs also needs to include an awareness of the legal obligations and responsibilities that come with the role and regular courses to ensure that all JPs are constantly aware of changes in legislation pertaining to their work. The level of training required to ensure that they can serve the public confidently and competently also suggests it might be desirable to ensure that there is a process by which JP licences can be reviewed. 
Other matters that the Maori Party would like to include in the context of training for justices of the peace include an understanding of cultural safety education around Te Tiriti o Waitangi a basic understanding of tikanga Maori and te reo Maori an awareness of the diverse cultural mix that makes up our population and a basic course in the proper pronunciation of people’s names. I recall a Mr John Butler the first clergyman ordained in Aotearoa who was appointed a JP in July 1819. Although Butler was not the first magistrate in the country he was recognised for his ability to work well with Maori because of his commitment to learning and conversing in Maori. Also noted was the generosity extended to him and Samuel Marsden by Hongi Hika who gave them land for their settlement in Kerikeri. 
This issue is not just about being PC sensitive new-age or anything like that. It is about affirming a statement made by the Prime Minister herself. She said just a few years ago that “the basis of constitutional government in this country is to be found in its founding document the Treaty of Waitangi.” It is about validating the fact that the Maori language is rightfully recognised as an official language in Aotearoa and it is about recognising the value and importance that all other cultures bring to our society in Aotearoa. 
The bill in recognition of the fact that JPs operate from a position of trust also introduces new rules to ensure that the values of transparency accountability and public safety—which were mentioned earlier by Mr Ron Mark—are upheld. The Maori Party supports the view that anyone who has a role that impacts on the wider society should accept the responsibilities that go with that role. 
The last proposal of course is to let retired JPs use the designation “JP (retired)” if they have held office for at least 10 years. We accept that proposal as well even though we know it will be tough for Te Ururoa Flavell and I who not only have to call our esteemed Te Aute - bred co-leader “Doctor” Pita Sharples but we were told at caucus by the illustrious co-leader himself that he now expects us to refer to him as “Dr Pita Sharples JP Retired”. 
Finally we note the advice from the Royal Federation of New Zealand Justices’ Associations that JPs should have a “genuine desire to serve the community be of good standing in the community and be respected as persons of good sense character and integrity.” I will repeat that. JPs should have a genuine desire to serve the community be of good standing in the community and be respected as persons of good sense character and integrity. As those are the exact requirements to be able to stand as a member of Parliament for the only party that truly represents the hopes and aspirations of the tangata whenua the mighty Maori Party we can do no less than offer our support for this bill. Kia ora Mr Speaker.