Mark Ron: Independent Police Complaints Authority Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Mark Ron: Independent Police Complaints Authority Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:625;Page:20351] 
RON MARK (NZ First) 
: 
 What a sanctimonious little jerk that man is at times! 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: The member knows— 
RON MARK 
: He did not take offence. 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: It is my job to keep order in the House. The member will stand withdraw and apologise. 
RON MARK 
: I withdraw and apologise. And as I was saying is it not interesting how some members just cannot resist. This member at the moment is giving such cause for concern amongst his own party that I have members of the Labour Party ringing me now and ringing my family to distance themselves from the rather venal comments that he is throwing around the Waimakariri electorate. All I can say to that member to add to the comments he just made is to keep it up because it is working well. We in New Zealand First are enjoying the results. 
Since he was indulged in his comments about and his compliments to a hard-working police officer in the Waimakariri I ask the House to be indulged also as I pass on my congratulations to my late father-in-law who was a police officer for many many years to my brother-in-law to my two nephews to my niece to my son to my wife’s uncle—a fine detective living in the Waimakariri John Whiting commonly known in the Papanui area as “Ting” and to the many other members of the New Zealand First family who are police officers currently serving this nation and keeping the streets safe. Unfortunately people like Doug Woolerton’s son Peter Brown’s daughter-in-law and Bill Gudgeon’s son-in-law are all subject to the rather curious decisions made by this Government as they struggle to keep the streets of New Zealand safe as they struggle to do their jobs without the resources they need and as they struggle against all the odds to serve the people of this nation. I want to thank Clayton Cosgrove for introducing the opportunity for me to thank all those fine men and women in blue who serve us. I also want to say— 
Jill Pettis 
: Why does this member spend so much time slagging off the police? 
RON MARK 
: Cutting through the rather caustic comments coming from the chief Government whip as she strips the varnish from the walls behind me I want to say that this bill is a timely reminder to this Government that it is not assisting its police officers. The honourable member Richard Worth was quite right to point out the huge number of cases that are outstanding—in excess of 2100 that have not been attended to. I ask this caring sharing bleeding-heart Government that thinks it has the franchise for looking after police officers how many police marriages have broken up as a result of the stress and trauma inflicted on the families of officers—both men and women— 
Clayton Cosgrove 
: Ha ha! 
RON MARK 
: Cosgrove laughs. He thinks this is a joke. I tell that member that in his own electorate right now a group of concerned police officers are furious at delays in the Police Complaints Authority procedures. They have sat and watched a very fine officer being hung out to dry for 18 months while he waits for the police to decide whether there is a case against him. He waited just prior to Christmas to hear whether he would be charged. That officer rang his commanders in Christchurch just before Christmas—[ 
Interruption 
] Cosgrove is laughing again. He thinks this is a joke. This is a man who has no family—no children of his own. He has no empathy with or sympathy for this officer who has children to think about. 
Clayton Cosgrove 
: Madam Speaker— 
RON MARK 
: Does the member have children? I forgot. 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: The member should not be personal like that. He knows that. 
RON MARK 
: Madam Speaker that member is laughing and this is a serious matter that affects one of his constituents. This officer—[ 
Interruption 
] There he goes again! I will send the  
Hansard 
 to this officer’s family to let them know that Cosgrove was laughing through this speech. 
Clayton Cosgrove 
: You’re making it up. 
RON MARK 
: Making it up! I want that on the record. Cosgrove says that the case I speak of is made up. 
Clayton Cosgrove 
: I’m saying you’re making this up. 
RON MARK 
: He is saying that I am making this up. Well this officer waited prior to Christmas wanting to know what was happening with the police complaint that had been laid against him. Then he had to ring up and only when he rang—[ 
Interruption 
] Only when he rang I say to Minister Hawkins was he told: “Haven’t you been told? We’re laying charges.” So the case is now before the courts. I am looking forward to the result of that case because if this officer is as I suspect he will be found innocent by the courts of the charges then I and New Zealand First will do everything we can to ensure through the Police Association that he gets full compensation for the tardy tawdry disgusting way in which he has been treated. And he is not the only one. There are hundreds of police officers like this. One only has to go back through the newspapers to see officers who have been investigated by the Police Complaints Authority and have been charged in the courts— 
Jill Pettis 
: This is the member who spends his political career attacking the police. 
RON MARK 
: —only to be found innocent I say to Jill Pettis. Where is Jill Pettis’ concern for these police officers when they are found innocent after being hung out to dry for 1 or 2 years? [ 
Interruption 
] We know when it is hurting do we not Shane? They start rabbiting on and the varnish just rolls off the walls. This member has only one interest in his deepest heart for New Zealand First and that is to make sure the police are looked after. This bill is a good bill in the sense that it brings transparency. Mr Cosgrove is right about that. That is why New Zealand First is going to vote for this legislation. 
But let us be very clear. Let us take an opening line from a letter I received when I got back from the Speaker’s tour. This is the sort of thing that leads to complaints. “On 29th March 2005 I wrote to you about my disillusionment as a detective. Our ranks are being depleted and detectives are being pulled off their normal duties to man traffic checkpoints. I specifically refer to an operation which took place …” and I am not going to say the area because we get witch hunts “on Wednesday” and the date is stated “I stated that all CIB staff in that area were directed to man traffic checkpoints for the entire duration of their shift concentrating on seat belt enforcement. The Minister of Police essentially denied that that was the case. His denial was supported by the …” district administration “when they were questioned about the operation by the … ” local newspaper. “They denied that detectives were being directed to do this duty and that also there were CIB presence on this operation that had been limited to short periods of time and had been on a strictly voluntary basis. That information if it were correct would mean that either I was a liar or was mistaken in my assertions. I am not a liar and my information was correct. Any misinformation about this operation was promulgated by the area commander of our district …” and the writer then names him. 
He then goes on to name the six Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) officers deployed for the full duration of their 8-hour shift off their CIB duties on to seat belt enforcement. The Minister has the nerve to stand in this House and deny that it is happening. Well I tell the Minister that while he is working on the Independent Police Complaints Authority Amendment Bill he should have some regard for the way in which he demeans the honour and integrity of long-serving detectives such as this. Because despite what his little lackey Mr Cosgrove says they are not with him. They do not believe what he says— 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: The member will withdraw that remark. 
RON MARK 
: I withdraw calling him a lackey. 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: No no. 
RON MARK 
: I said “I withdraw that.” 
Madam DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: Please be seated. The member knows that when he is told to withdraw he makes no other comment. The member will stand withdraw and apologise. 
RON MARK 
: I withdraw and apologise. The member over there also knows that police officers have had a gutsful. They have had a gutsful of the Police Complaints Authority taking so long. They have had a gutsful of being called liars. They have had a gutsful of providing information to try to make their service much better for the public and being told they do not know what they are talking about. Well Mr Cosgrove and Mr Hawkins can accept one thing. Between the two of them they do not know what is going on on the ground. They do not listen to those officers. If one did listen one would actually be on the track to resolving some of the problems. 
Bill read a second time.