Brown Peter: Independent Police Complaints Authority Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Brown Peter: Independent Police Complaints Authority Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
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PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 New Zealand First also supports the Independent Police Complaints Authority Amendment Bill. We are keen to see it pass through the House at a fairly rapid pace. For a long time now we have called for the Police Complaints Authority to be made independent and the fact that this bill does that pleases us. We also welcome the fact that the authority is to increase its membership from one to three. We think that is a good move. 
If we want to maintain a very efficient and effective police force—and I am not suggesting for one moment that we do not have just that—it is essential that we have an independent Police Complaints Authority. There are two reasons. One is the practical reason of ensuring that the complaints it handles are indeed handled in an independent manner. There is also a perception in the minds of many of the public that the Police Complaints Authority as it is currently structured is biased towards the police. I think most of us in this House do not share that view but that is a perception that many members of the public have. 
I endorse the comments of the chairman of the Law and Order Committee. He says that we have the best police force in the world. I do not know whether I can endorse those comments to the degree of saying that it is the absolute best in the world but I will say that New Zealand First has a very high regard for the people who make up our police force. One of the major problems—and maybe the Government will take notice of it in the Budget—is that there are not enough of them. On a per capita basis we have something like 18 sworn police officers for every 10000 members of the public. That is the figure that sticks in my mind. To put it another way we have 180 police officers for every 100000 members of the public. When compared with some other nations in the OECD that is a dismal number. We need more police officers in this country and we need them urgently. I know that from time to time Ministers stand up and say that crime figures are going down. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: That’s good. 
PETER BROWN 
: It would be good if it were true. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: It’s true. 
PETER BROWN 
: It is true for the last few months but I invite the Hon Phil Goff because I know he— 
Hon Phil Goff 
: It’s true over the last few years. 
PETER BROWN 
: He should go and look at the crime figures in 1999 when Labour came into power and compare them with the figures now. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Crime is at its lowest since 1982 on figures taken on exactly the same basis as they have always been taken. 
PETER BROWN 
: No no. The member can shout at me as much as he likes but he should go and look at the figures for crime in 1999 when the Government came in then look at the most recent figures. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Burglary is down by a third for example. 
PETER BROWN 
: Burglary is a concern and it is good to see it going down but I am not certain it has gone down from 1999. Violent crime has gone up considerably since 1999. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: Yes but it has come down over the last year and a bit. 
PETER BROWN 
: It peaked fractionally. But I tell the honourable member who clearly is listening to New Zealand First—and the best advice anyone will give him tonight is to listen to New Zealand First—that we need more cops and we need them urgently. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: You’ve got another 1080 already. 
PETER BROWN 
: The member likes to muck around with statistics. He should look at the number of police on a per capita basis in a place like Ireland which has a similar-sized population of 4 million or thereabouts. 
Jill Pettis 
: Oh look— 
PETER BROWN 
: Jill Pettis should not treat this as a joke. It is serious. 
Jill Pettis 
: Look at Ireland’s problems. 
PETER BROWN 
: I invite members to look at any reasonably sized OECD country that has more police then compare the numbers of police with the level of crime. It is not good enough to stand up in the House and say that crime has gone down because it peaked last year. We collectively as politicians and parliamentarians can bring it down considerably by having more police. Even the National Party which once committed to the notion that a computer would solve crime has recognised now that it is important to have more cops. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: And they cut out policemen. 
PETER BROWN 
: I think Labour was going to have shadow police in cars at one time. We in New Zealand First want real cops made up of flesh and blood who are fit healthy and prepared to put their— 
Jill Pettis 
: So how many extra police when New Zealand First was part of the Government? 
PETER BROWN 
: I think that in the 2 years we were in Government the sworn police numbers went up dramatically. The figure that comes to mind is 500. 
Hon David Benson-Pope 
: They cut it. 
PETER BROWN 
: No that was after we got the grand order of the boot. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: The National Party cut the number of people. 
PETER BROWN 
: There were no cuts while we were in the Government. If the Minister does not believe me he can check the figures for himself. We increased the police numbers by quite a significant number and we would do that again—significantly. It is regrettable that members are taking me away from this bill but I want to make that point whilst I am making my speech. [ 
Interruption 
] No I am having a little bit of fun here because I can see that I have the Government on a bit of a guilt trip. Those members know that they can do more and I am giving them good advice on how they can do it. 
New Zealand First supports this bill. We support the Independent Police Complaints Authority Amendment Bill but more important we support having more police officers on the streets of New Zealand. That way we really will address the crime levels in this country.