Connell Brian: Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims Bill — In Committee Procedure Third Reading 
Connell Brian: Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims Bill — In Committee Procedure Third Reading 
[Volume:626;Page:21002] 
BRIAN CONNELL (National—Rakaia) 
: 
 That Minister has taken two calls of the most sanctimonious politically correct nonsense I think I have heard since I have been in Parliament. What absolute drivel that was in self-justification! I tell the Minister that there is a very simple answer: prisoners simply do not get compensation. Throughout this debate the hitherto irrelevant Green Party has been voting in favour of this legislation despite the much-heralded Trotskyite Keith Locke coming down to the House last night and saying that this was bad law. He said that it was bad law but that the Greens would vote for it anyway. I am reminded of Groucho Marx saying: “Those are my principles. If you don’t like them I have others.” 
The Minister talked also about international conventions as a means of justification. What about the convention that one shall not kill? The Minister just conveniently forgets about that. When the mother of the victim of Sam Te Hei came to the select committee who is one of the most courageous people I have ever seen—I am coming to Part 3 because this is an important component of going to the heart of damages—she looked us in the eye and said: “What about justice for my little girl?”. We are not here for money—we do not want compensation. We simply want justice. What about her human rights? I found that an extremely compelling argument. 
The Government tells us that it will change the statute by means of clauses 63 and 64 so that it can put into play a situation whereby the victims of heinous crime will now have to go through this nightmare time and time again because they can sue for compensation. As I have already said they do not want compensation. What has happened to this society so that we have got ourselves into a situation like that? Whoever would have thought that 5 years ago—let alone now—we would have said that those who commit vicious crimes against humanity will be compensated? It is happening under a Labour Government. 
Let us have a look at what takes place. The scenario is that a victim goes after one of the perpetrators who has now got some money by virtue of the State. Having incurred substantial costs through the legal system to win it that is now what will happen. In terms of deductions from the quantum clause 17(1) states that the Secretary for Justice must “(a) first pay out of that money any sum necessary to satisfy fully any relevant charge—(i) in favour of the Legal Services Agency; and … (b) secondly pay out of that money any sum necessary to satisfy fully any amount of reparation owed by the accused or the offender;”. What the bill is saying is that the victims are third in the pecking order. Having gone through the battle to get compensation and having incurred their own personal expenses offenders’ victims will now have legal aid in favour of the State and any other order payable against the offender deducted from the quantum before they get a look at the money That is not only disgraceful it is inhumane. The bill is badly named. It should be called the “Prisoners Compensation Bill” and I can hardly wait for the title debate just to express that view. 
Whatever happened to this country whereby victims’ rights have become secondary to those who commit heinous crime? Why should we ever consider that that is fair relevant and just? Who thinks that it is fair relevant and just? Clearly only the members of the current Government do supported by the Green Party. It is not fair and we strongly oppose it.