Macindoe Tim: Sentencing (Offender Levy) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Macindoe Tim: Sentencing (Offender Levy) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:652;Page:1298] 
TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West) 
: 
 The Sentencing (Offender Levy) Amendment Bill deals with a very important principle that many New Zealanders feel has been insufficiently appreciated and acknowledged at a Government level at least for the last 9 years and possibly longer. Having been subjected to the barrage of speeches and interjections from members opposite for the last half an hour or so I can say that it is quite clear that New Zealanders are absolutely right in coming to that conclusion. 
I am proud to be part of a Government and to support a Government that is demonstrating its responsiveness to the electorate. Do Labour members not know what New Zealanders are saying about crime? Do they not care what New Zealanders are saying about the consequences of crime? The National Government has come into office with a very clear mandate and it is demonstrating its absolute determination to put victims’ rights and concerns at the forefront of criminal justice policy. I am absolutely gobsmacked that Labour members say they want to support the bill but have said absolutely nothing in this debate so far to demonstrate that they mean what they say they intend to do. Few subjects have provoked greater anger in the Hamilton West electorate than the sharp rise in violent crime during the term of the last Labour Government when many victims suffered greatly but appeared to be forgotten in the legal proceedings that followed if indeed any legal proceedings did follow the crime. 
So the Sentencing (Offender Levy) Amendment Bill is a very important step. It is only a step but it is an important step towards acknowledging that it is victims who should receive our support and compensation not those who inflict the misery upon them. That is the principle that clearly eluded Clayton Cosgrove when he focused solely on the administrative costs associated with the scheme and on Labour’s sorry record in this area. Mr Cosgrove claims that he supports the bill but it is absolutely impossible to detect anything in his speech that demonstrates why he came to that conclusion. Jacinda Ardern Sue Moroney and David Parker all followed him in a similar vein. All were more concerned with costs and process than with dealing with the substantive issue. It is absolutely fascinating to hear Labour speaker after Labour speaker claiming that the bill will not work and that it is just a piece of theatre. When my colleague Simon Bridges was speaking I think I even heard Steve Chadwick say the bill was an insult to victims and Clayton Cosgrove definitely made that remark when Amy Adams was on her feet. 
Apparently even though the bill is an insult to victims Labour will support the bill’s referral to the Justice and Electoral Committee. Well that sounds like a totally unconvincing each-way bet to me and it will not fool any of Labour’s disillusioned voters who abandoned them in such great numbers at the polling booths last year. 
Hon Member 
: No one will be fooled. 
TIM MACINDOE 
: Absolutely no one will be fooled. Those members and other members opposite have demonstrated that although they have made all sorts of empty promises over a dozen years and more Labour throughout its term of office consistently ignored the needs and concerns of victims and now it is in real danger of making that same mistake again. Those members can scoff at this bill and ignore the issue as much as they like but they need to reflect on the mess they bequeathed to the new National Government which will do something about cleaning it up. They need to realise that their soft approach badly let down those most deserving of help in our justice system. 
Phil Twyford 
: Like this will make a difference! 
TIM MACINDOE 
: Yes it will make a difference I say to Mr Twyford and that is why we are doing it. I say to Mr Twyford that its success will be measured by the increased assistance that victims receive with their one-off expenses that are not currently covered by accident compensation with their travel costs to and from the court—well apparently that is a bad thing for members opposite; I cannot see why that is—and by additional counselling which I would have thought members opposite would welcome. 
The levy is set at a rate that most would agree is far too low to compensate victims—there is no argument about that—particularly those who are victims of our most serious crimes but it is an important first step towards refocusing our justice system on the needs of victims. It should be noted that the Government will also introduce measures to improve the services that victims receive and to enhance victims’ rights. In other words it is part of a bigger package. 
The simple fact which may be unpalatable to members opposite but they should be quiet and think about it for a moment is that New Zealanders voted overwhelmingly in support of this matter just 3 months ago. We are absolutely determined to get on with the job that New Zealanders elected us to do. I commend this bill to the House and so do the overwhelming majority of my constituents in Hamilton West. 
Bill read a first time.  
Bill referred to the Justice and Electoral Committee.