Ross Jami-Lee: Administration of Community Sentences and Orders Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Ross Jami-Lee: Administration of Community Sentences and Orders Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 08 May 2012. Volume:679;Page:2049. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) 
: 
 I am somewhat dumbstruck. I am shocked and I am amazed because for the first time in a very long time if ever we have the Green Party New Zealand First and the Labour Party all supporting a bill the Administration of Community Sentences and Orders Bill. I am starting to wonder whether we are actually doing the right thing with all those parties finally supporting a piece of legislation that the Government— 
Hon Simon Bridges 
: Why are we supporting it then? 
JAMI-LEE ROSS 
: They actually have a majority. They do not need us to support it. They have a majority already just about with all that support from the parties. I am pleased to be supporting this bill on behalf of the National Party and my colleagues. I will not speak for long because it is clear that we have so much support in the House around the Chamber to see this bill go smoothly through to the Law and Order Committee. 
 This bill is about improving the justice system and the corrections system even further. We have heard already tonight that the National-led Government has passed 18 new laws in the justice sector since it was first elected. I do think it was a bit unfair of the Hon Phil Goff to discount the effort that the National-led Government has put into the law and order area. I do struggle sometimes to disagree with and question the judgment of someone who has been in Parliament longer than I have even been alive but I have to say to the Hon Phil Goff that it was a little unfair of him to be questioning our strides of progress in the law and order area.  
Before we came into power crime was on the increase the corrections system was out of control prisons faced a critical shortage of beds P was seriously damaging communities— 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: And it’s not now? 
JAMI-LEE ROSS 
: —and repeat violent offenders were being freed on parole. We have passed 18 new laws to help make this country safer. I do not think it is fair to discount that. We have removed parole eligibility for the worst repeat violent offenders. We have repealed the use of provocation as a partial defence for murder. We have increased the penalty for possessing a knife from 2 years to 3 years. All of those things would probably not have been achieved had Mr Winston Peters been in this House. We have doubled drug and alcohol treatment places for prisoners. We have increased the number of prisoners who are receiving skilled work training by 1000 as we promised at the election.  
Hon Simon Bridges 
: How did we pass them if Rajen Prasad was here? 
JAMI-LEE ROSS 
: I do not know. That is a question we all ask ourselves every day Mr Bridges. This bill is about taking the next step forward. It is about simplifying and working on making the bail system and the sentencing system more administratively acceptable for the public. It is about making it easier for people in the justice system to administer the important sentencing and bail issues that they have to deal with. I am looking forward to the select committee’s consideration of this bill. I even look forward to perhaps seeing Mr Winston Peters sitting on the select committee with us. He is so interested in the bill given his interjections here this afternoon.