Alexander Marc: Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims Bill — In Committee Procedure Third Reading 
Alexander Marc: Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims Bill — In Committee Procedure Third Reading 
[Volume:626;Page:21008] 
MARC ALEXANDER (United Future) 
: 
 I thank the previous speaker for his contribution and I ask him whether he thinks I should make my valedictory speech now or wait for New Zealanders to vote in a common-sense way and return United Future in the much more powerful position of being kingmaker after the next election—a position that New Zealand First squandered when it had its opportunity thereby putting National out of contention for two or possibly three elections. Nobody will reward New Zealand First for that. 
Before I discuss the main part of the topic which is what we should name this bill I would like to point out something that is quite curious and interesting: we are talking about victims’ rights. The primary reason the bill is before us is so we can deal with the issues of victims and their sense of injustice. That is what this bill proposes to do. The problem that this bill attempts woefully to try to address is that of ensuring that victims are not left out of the loop—that they are not marginalised or put at the outer fringes of our criminal justice system. But this bill actually enshrines that. It actually makes matters more difficult for the victims of crime. 
Interestingly enough not long ago I had a conversation with a Labour member whom I will not name who basically accused me of being sanctimonious when I pointed out that she should spend a bit more time with victims to find out how they feel about things. It is interesting that she thought spending time with victims and advocating on their behalf would qualify one to be regarded as sanctimonious. So I guess the reverse is true: someone who does not spend any time with victims will have a much better perspective of them. That is the perspective of the Government and of the Greens and it is wrong—it is utterly wrong. If one wants to understand what victims are about one should spend time with them to understand why their victimhood chases them and casts a long shadow right throughout their lives. If people did that and understood where victims were coming from they could never support a bill such as this because this bill does one thing if nothing else: it enshrine offenders’ rights above and beyond victims’ rights. It is an appalling bill because of that. 
It is true that United Future supported the bill through its early stage and supported its referral to the Justice and Electoral Committee the main point being that something had to be done. We thought—wrongly as it turned out—that something could be done to make this bill place the interests of victims first. Unfortunately the bill does not do that and that is why we cannot support it. But we gave the Government an out: we offered it the opportunity to put a moratorium in place so that no more prisoners’ claims could be put forward. The Government for its own reasons chose to walk away from that offer. It probably thought the bill would put the issue to rest. Well it will not. 
What can one say about the Greens’ complicity in being the only other party apart from Labour to support this bill? The Greens are supposed to belong to a party of principle but they walked away from their principles regarding GE and they walked away from Nandor Tanczos’ bill thinking the marijuana issue may blight their chances at the election. The only Green member who is worth talking to and worth having a comprehensible conversation with is Ian Ewen-Street. But he has decided that enough is enough. He is going off into the sunset and leaving the Greens and I do not blame him. I would too if I were him. Ian Ewen-Street should be commended for voting with his feet. It is something that the people of this country should take into consideration when they go into the polling booth and see the word “Green”. That party name should be taken off the ballot because the Greens have no pride of place in this Chamber when it comes to advocating for the right sort of human rights—that is victims’ rights above the rights of prisoners. This bill is a disgrace.