Boscawen John: Bail Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Boscawen John: Bail Amendment Bill — First Reading Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:651;Page:558] 
JOHN BOSCAWEN (ACT) 
: 
 I have been listening with interest to the comments from the Labour Opposition this afternoon. I have a number of comments in response to the issues they have raised but before I make them I need to turn my initial comments to the Green Party member Metiria Turei. I think the House has just been subject to a huge amount of rubbish. The honourable member talked about the social contract. Well I say that the social contract Parliament and the Government of this country has with the people of New Zealand is to keep them safe. The member talked about the former private remand prison at Mount Eden. I ask the member how many escapes were made from that prison. She talked on the one hand about the superb services the good quality of the prison and the way the inmates were treated and then she turned around and tried to draw a comparison with prisons in South America. The social contract that the Government of this country has with the people of New Zealand is to keep them safe and to protect them from crime. I see Mr Cullen is looking. I do not believe that the members on that side of the House have actually understood why they lost this election but one of the key issues was law and order. One of the key issues in the election was law and order and the fact that the people of New Zealand want to be kept safe. 
But before I go back to that issue again I will comment also on Metiria Turei’s comments on the tax bill. The tax bill that has just been passed under urgency makes a significant reduction in the top marginal tax rate. I have said that it is not enough but it is the start—it is the start of a tax system that will reward people who want to work hard get on have a higher income provide for their families and provide a higher standard of living. It will stop the great exodus of people going from this country to Australia. Similarly the changes to the employment legislation are all designed to encourage employers to take on staff with the confidence that they can do so and to create wealth and improve the productivity of this country. 
Let me come back to you Mr Cosgrove; let me come back to you. As I say I do not think that you have understood— 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: I wouldn’t get that close. 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: You would not get that close? 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: To you? Hell no! 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: So you are frightened of me Mr Cosgrove? I am not surprised. You should be because—[ 
Interruption 
] 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: I am not the object of the debate. Please keep the conversation in the third person; do not bring the Chair into the debate. 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: I apologise Mr Assistant Speaker. I was referring my comments to Mr Cosgrove. Mr Cosgrove trivialises the very fundamental issue of law and order. He talked about there being no crime in the country. He trivialised the speech that Melissa Lee made. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: No no no. 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: Yes he did. He talked about there being no crime in New Zealand. He said that the white doves would be free to be released that there would be no crime and that all would be good and well in this country. The member shows how he “trivilises” this issue. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: “Trivil” what? 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: He trivialised it. Moana Mackey rose to say that this bill does practically nothing and then she went on to say that my colleague says that in itself this bill will do little. [ 
Interruption 
] That is what she said. David Quarrack has quite rightly said that in itself this bill will do little. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I want to be of assistance because I know that every member has the right to be addressed in the appropriate way. I think that Mr Boscawen was referring to Mr Garrett not Mr Barrett. I do not think we have a Mr Barrett in the House and I think that the member should show some respect to his colleague. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: That is not a proper point of order. I call the member to continue his speech. 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. If members are concerned that this bill does practically nothing then let me just talk to them about some of the other bills that will come before the House on this issue. Let me talk about the three strikes bill. The ACT Party came to Parliament on a promise to introduce the three strikes bill. Members of the Opposition will have an opportunity to vote for that bill and to refer it to a select committee; members will have the chance to vote for that bill refer it back to the House and pass it into law. 
Moana Mackey 
: When will that be introduced? 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: 15 years! 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: The initial effect of that ACT bill will be immediate because— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Immediate—no it won’t. Talk to Garrett. 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: That is right. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: He said 20 years. 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: Yes you can smile. Let me explain to you— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: I cannot smile; please keep me out of the debate. Focus on the point. 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: I apologise. Let me explain to the member how that bill will operate. On the first conviction criminals on serious and violent offences will be convicted and sentenced and will serve the full length of the term that the judge sentences them for. So on their first conviction for a serious and violent offence offenders will have to serve the full length of their sentences. On the second conviction for a serious and violent offence they will have to serve the maximum sentence. So if the maximum for grievous bodily harm is 14 years then that is exactly what they will serve. 
The point that Mr Garrett was trying to make which has been misrepresented by the Opposition is that if criminals have two strikes they will in the first instance already have served the time set down by the judge for the first strike so they will serve the maximum time provided under the law for the second serious violent conviction. Then on the third conviction they will serve 25 years to life. So if members on the other side of the House are concerned that this bill does practically nothing if that is their concern then I can tell them that the ACT Party came into this Parliament to fulfil its social contract with the people of New Zealand to keep the people of New Zealand safe and to punish those who commit serious violent crimes. 
I say to Mr Cosgrove and Mr Cullen— 
Hon Members 
: Dr Cullen. 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: —I apologise; the Hon Dr Cullen—that they and their colleagues will have the opportunity to refer ACT’s three strikes bill to a select committee. I welcome those members’ support and the support of the National members on that committee to hear the submissions of the public of New Zealand and then to refer the bill back and pass it into law. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: What other bills are coming? 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: Well hopefully there will be a repeal of the emissions trading scheme. There will be future tax bills. [ 
Interruption 
] That is right. I am pleased the member is clapping because the Hon Jim Anderton was having a crack at the National Government earlier this week and at the fact that there was no reference to research and development in the Speech from the Throne. Those members forget that the Labour Government passed emissions trading legislation that will introduce severe taxes for the rural sector in this country. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: What else is coming? 
Moana Mackey 
: What else are you going to do? 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: I am very pleased to hear the interjections. I wish they would come just one at a time because then I could actually hear them and respond to them. It is actually a bit hard to hear. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: What other bills are coming? 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: We have the Education (National Standards) Amendment Bill coming up later this evening. 
Hon Member 
: We? Those aren’t your bills. 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: Well I am happy to talk about the ACT policy on education if members wish because we certainly believe that parents in this country should be addressing— 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: The member should be addressing the Bail Amendment Bill. 
JOHN BOSCAWEN 
: I am sorry Mr Assistant Speaker I did not hear those comments. I am happy to sit down because the point I am trying to make is that the Labour Opposition is saying that this bill will do practically nothing. If members think this bill will do practically nothing they will have the opportunity to vote for the ACT “Three Strikes and You are Out Bill” early in the New Year. I can assure them that that bill will do something and that members of the ACT Party are committed to this Government fulfilling its social contract with the people of New Zealand. Thank you. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Rick Barker) 
: For the edification of the House I remind members that we are on the third reading of the Bail Amendment Bill. The Government’s agenda for some time in the future is not part of that discussion—interesting though it was to members.