Mark Ron: Criminal Justice Reform Bill — In Committee 
Mark Ron: Criminal Justice Reform Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:640;Page:10561] 
RON MARK (NZ First) 
: 
 I wish to take just a short call to allay some of the concerns expressed by Dr Wayne Mapp. Yes it is true that although New Zealand First is supporting the passage of this legislation through the House we do have concerns about parole. Mr Mapp has informed members that the National Party now has a policy that it will repeal parole and there will not be parole for—I think he said—violent offenders. That is quite a turn of events because in the 11 years I have been in Parliament this is the first time that the National Party has had such a policy. 
Judith Collins 
: It was at the last election Ron. 
RON MARK 
: I say to Judith Collins that it had it at the last election; it did not have it at the election before that or at the one before that. 
Judith Collins 
: It was at the last election Ron. 
RON MARK 
: There she goes catcalling across the Chamber. She is on her horse racing it—here comes Judith Collins with her interjections. We all love and value them do we not? I say to Judith Collins that the National Party did not have that policy in 1993 when it was in Government it did not have it in 1996 when it was in Government and it did not have it in 1999 when it was thrown out of Government. It did not have it in 2002 but it finally had it in 2005. 
Mr David Bennett can shake his head all he likes. I know that it is a sorry story that the National Party of which he is a member should only then have finally come to New Zealand First’s position. But we are not surprised about that because in  
The Hollow Men 
 we all found out that the best research National got was from the New Zealand First website so there are no surprises there. 
New Zealand First has been consistent in its view on parole. We do not like parole and when we are in Government we will repeal the parole legislation. So I am looking forward—if history should deal the nation a New Zealand First - National Government arrangement—to discussions with National Party people about repealing parole completely. The National Party policy is not about repealing parole completely; it is about repealing it only for violent offenders. So I welcome Dr Mapp’s sensible—as always—contribution. I welcome the change and the shift in National Party policy. As always it was a little late but it is finally there. 
The question is: why are we in New Zealand First supporting this legislation and these amendments? It is simply because this is better than nothing. We cannot get everything we want. We did not get everything we wanted when we were in a formal coalition Government with National. Although we are unhappy that this does not fit in totally with our policy at least we are making some progress on the parole conditions to address the situation we were left in with regard to Mr Burton and the Kuchenbecker murder. I do not think either the National Party or New Zealand First were happy with that outcome. Simon Power and I have had some interesting discussions. 
Mr Bennett is still such a new member that he is shaking his head and pulling a face at everybody. He needs to know that Simon Power has told me privately that he supports the bill. He supports every clause in it except for the Sentencing Council portion. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: It’s actually in the minority report. 
RON MARK 
: Dr Wayne Mapp can interject all he likes from the sidelines as he strolls his way through to his seat but I can only tell Mr Mapp what Mr Power told me. 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: Read the minority report; it’s quite explicit. 
RON MARK 
: I do not care what the minority report says. I can only tell Mr Mapp again what Mr Power told me. Mr Power told me that his primary concern was about the Sentencing Council and that it was on that basis—and on the basis of the Government’s refusal to split the bill into two which would have allowed National to vote against the Sentencing Council—that it is voting against this particular portion. 
David Bennett 
: Go out of the Chamber as you should. 
RON MARK 
: The very junior member Mr Bennett should understand that a lot of what I have heard from the National Party is like the shedding of crocodile tears. Mr Bennett is now smiling so he knows I am right. I thank Mr Bennett. Deep down National members agree that the bill needs to go through although they are not happy with all parts of it and we agree and concur with that. 
So I am looking forward to an opportunity in the future to work with some like-minded and similar-minded people who might seek to redress a couple of these things. The difference we have is on the Sentencing Council. New Zealand First likes it; National does not. On the issue of parole New Zealand First would go further than National and therein is where the differences lie.