Wong Pansy: Summary Offences (Tagging and Graffiti Vandalism) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Wong Pansy: Summary Offences (Tagging and Graffiti Vandalism) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Sitting date: 19 June 2008. Volume:647;Page:16791. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
PANSY WONG (National) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to follow the previous two speakers: my colleague Judith Collins but particularly the Hon George Hawkins. I think those two deserve credit because without them we would not be able to pass this Government bill—the Summary Offences (Tagging and Graffiti Vandalism) Bill—in Parliament today. Two years ago George Hawkins brought a bill to Parliament that had been started off by the Manukau City Council because it saw that graffiti was causing real problems. Graffiti is a sign of a society and the local community tolerating or normalising behaviour that can be very intimidating.  
This past week has been very tough in South Auckland. I went past Riverton Liquor Store where Navtej Singh was brutally killed for a few bottles of beer. I realised that the menacing graffiti on the walls and shop windows of that block of shops has an intimidating and menacing impact on ordinary residents who live around there. Many of them have been interviewed by media from various sources and they talk of living in fear and of getting used to it. Today Parliament at long last is taking a small step towards sending a message to offenders that this behaviour will not be tolerated.  
As I have said 2 years ago the arrogant Labour Government unfortunately treated one of its own members the Hon George Hawkins with arrogance. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: It’s a bipartisan afternoon Pansy. 
PANSY WONG 
: I am now being dictated to about how to speak in this Parliament. Well I have news for the Hon Darren Hughes: his powers have not extended to commanding what an Opposition MP can or cannot say. After 9 years New Zealanders are fed up with this Government which keeps on legislating and telling people what they can and cannot do. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Get off your high horse. 
PANSY WONG 
: He can take a call and have his say.  
Hon Darren Hughes 
: I spoke first. 
PANSY WONG 
: Tough luck! He should say something worth remembering.  
Two years ago the Government ignored George Hawkins and his bill. The Manukau City Council (Control of Graffiti) Bill sponsored by George Hawkins foundered in the Local Government and Environment Committee because the Labour members said the bill was useless that there was not a problem with graffiti and that there were existing laws to deal with it. To the credit of the Hon George Hawkins and my colleague Judith Collins we now see this bill in Parliament. With the cooperation of other parties like New Zealand First we have seen the bill survive.  
Today the Government’s Summary Offences (Tagging and Graffiti Vandalism) Bill comes before us for the third reading. It will take over George Hawkins’ bill but it will not take away any credit from him as the local member championing the local issue. I am very happy to be associated with the passing of this bill which in substance is supporting an initiative started by the Manukau City Council. Like all the other members say in Manukau a great number of people are in fact law abiding and they are fed up with antisocial behaviour. It is important for Parliament to send the correct message to the community. I know that two minor parties in Parliament would oppose the bill because they insist it does nothing to cure the problem but sometimes messages are important. The message to the offenders out there is that if they want to become a graffiti artist they should practise on their own doorstep. It is not within anybody’s rights to paint on other people’s property without their permission and that is a very important message.  
When I door-knock in Botany I find that a lot of the residents feel there is a lack of respect for other people’s property. They feel that over the years there has been an erosion of personal responsibility. Therefore today we are taking a small step towards sending a message of support to law-abiding New Zealanders giving them the tools they need but more important giving them the moral support of knowing that Parliament is on their side. This coming Saturday there will be a rally in Manukau Square to be followed by a march against crime. The march will finish at the car-park where Joanne Wang was brutally run over. It has been a tough week for Manukau for South Auckland and for New Zealand. The passage of this bill can be seen as our trying in a small way to take hold of a worsening situation. We are taking a small step to support law-abiding people in South Auckland and in New Zealand as a whole.  
We want to put on record that this single piece of legislation definitely will not solve all the problems. As the Hon George Hawkins and Judith Collins said it will not make graffiti disappear but it is the right start. We hope that Parliament in this cooperative spirit will also support the total package that National has started to put forward. For example we have to target youth offenders once again starting with education. If they intend to leave school without achieving certain standards then we need to provide them with an alternative training opportunity rather than allowing them at 15 or 16 years of age to go on a benefit. We need to instil in them the value of working and becoming a contributing citizen of society. If they start to go off the rails we should empower the Youth Court to issue parenting orders and a training regime.  
We need to get tough with the gangs out there. Various members have said that gangs are openly recruiting young members. That is why National members are happy to support the bill that has been introduced today by Annette King that will lengthen the sentence for gang membership. We have to declare war on gangs because they are destroying our community and intimidating our people. It is very sad for me to receive emails from ex - New Zealanders who have gone to Australia. They tell me that a reason for their leaving New Zealand for good to live in Australia was their concern about safety. They tell me they now live in Queensland and feel a lot safer. We need to let our people know that a safe community is our priority. For many people that is very important.  
I want to put on record that I am very happy to be part of the team supporting this bill. Manukau city councillors have expressed their gratitude to me. I join with George Hawkins in wishing Mayor Len Brown all the best. He and his family are going through tough times and I hope it will be a small comfort to him that Parliament is supporting a very good initiative for the Manukau City Council.