King Annette: Policing Bill — Second Reading 
King Annette: Policing Bill — Second Reading 
[Volume:649;Page:17738] 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Police) 
: 
 First of all I thank my colleague the Hon Dr Michael Cullen for the interest he has shown in this historic piece of legislation. He has ensured that it reaches the Order Paper in time for its passage before the election and also took the first speech tonight because although I am a particularly fast runner I could not make the House before it was time for me to speak so I am very grateful for his support. I also thank members of the House for their support. The member who has just spoken Chester Borrows has been from the beginning a continuous supporter of the Policing Bill and I think that that probably reflects his knowledge of policing from many years as a former police officer and his interest in policing. I also thank other members of this House: Ron Mark has shown particular interest and been very supportive throughout this process but so have the Green Party Maori Party United Future and ACT. So in terms of all the parties of this House this is one of those rare occasions when we have tremendous support for a piece of legislation. 
Tonight I also want to acknowledge Superintendent Hamish McCardle who is in the gallery. Superintendent McCardle and Mike Webb are two people who have really been the architects of this bill. They have put in countless hours to get this bill into shape for introduction. For them it is almost like watching a baby grow. They have been with this bill every step of the way and I want to acknowledge that Superintendent McCardle is here tonight supporting it again. 
When I introduced this bill in February this year in its first reading I noted that it contains the most far-reaching legislative proposals on policing to come before the House in 50 years. After all the old Police Act is 50 years old and we could describe it as legislation that is covered in sticking plaster because it has so many amendments attached to it. So this is very far-reaching legislation—a total rewrite of a major Act. 
I also drew attention to the multiple strands of public consultation testing and refinement that have been threaded together in the bill and that mean that it does largely represent a consensus view. I thank all the members of the Law and Order Committee for the constructive way they have approached the fine-tuning of this bill. I believe the draft legislation has been strengthened as a result. 
I wish to draw attention to some of the more significant changes heralded in the bill. First the bill provides an important acknowledgment that trust and confidence in the police hinge on policing being conducted in a principled way. Clause 8 identifies six principles that are broadly agreed to be important in the New Zealand policing tradition. They include acting impartially and Chester Borrows has already mentioned that; upholding high standards of ethics integrity and professionalism; and providing a national service linked strongly with local people and communities just to name some. 
The bill also recognises that the police cannot and do not act alone in responding effectively to safety and security needs. This is why clause 10 highlights the roles played by a range of partner organisations as well as the efforts of individuals families and communities. For example we see real progress being made when the police work in partnership with groups like Maori wardens Neighbourhood Support groups and community patrols and where the collaborative links are formed with organisations like for example the private security industry. 
I also draw attention to clause 16 which clarifies the relative areas of authority of the Commissioner of Police and the Minister of Police. In future we will not need to rely solely on custom and convention or case law to understand where the line is drawn between the legitimate role of the chief of police and the Minister of the Crown or those who act for them. This is a major step forward and it is strongly supported by constitutional experts. 
This bill also contains a number of provisions designed to support the operational effectiveness of the police. Although time constraints do not allow me to reveal all of them in detail I do want to briefly highlight clauses 32 to 34 which update powers relating to the identification of suspected offenders who have been lawfully detained by police. For instance clause 33 will allow front-line police to obtain a suspect offender’s identifying details without the need for the person to be physically arrested facilitating the use of summons and other notices to commence proceedings. This improvement should reduce the opportunity for people to provide false identities and in turn prevent precious time and resources being wasted in the justice system while the law catches up with the offenders. 
I want to single out three aspects of the bill’s personnel provisions that will support the commissioner’s ability to employ a modern police workforce. First and foremost the bill provides clearer recognition of the office of constable and reinforces its central place in the New Zealand system of policing but it breaks with the old-style thinking that assumes we need to run two parallel employment frameworks for general police staff and those who are constables. Part 4 confidently takes police into the mainstream environment where all police staff work under a unified system for setting terms and conditions of employment. This is a sensible evolution and long overdue. 
Secondly the bill gives a statutory basis to a code of conduct for all police staff reinforcing the importance of ethics and integrity in the way policing is done in New Zealand. Thirdly I want to highlight the way the bill provides greater assurance about the skills and qualifications of the men and women empowered to perform particular policing functions. Unlike the situation under the 1958 Act the bill will introduce an explicit requirement that a person who is appointed as a constable or an authorised officer is adequately trained and capable of exercising his or her powers. Although this has always been a legitimate expectation clauses 22(2) and 24(2) will make it a statutory requirement that recipients of policing powers and duties are suitably qualified to discharge their assigned responsibilities. 
The Policing Bill contains important innovations but also carries through cherished traditions. The bill reforms the legal structure under which the New Zealand Police is mandated and organised and will better enable the police to face future challenges. The bill as a whole is welcomed by the men and women who serve in the New Zealand Police and it has been particularly pleasing to see such a wide measure of support and public support coming from the police staff associations and the community at large. I now call upon members on all sides of the House to add their backing to this bill which promises I believe to help ensure that both Kiwis and visitors to our country will continue to receive the highest standard of policing. I do commend this bill to the House.