Power Simon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Power Simon: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:635;Page:6787] 
6.  
SIMON POWER (National—Rangitikei) 
 to the  
Minister of Corrections 
: Does he have confidence in his department; if so why? 
Hon MITA RIRINUI (Associate Minister of Corrections) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Corrections 
: Yes but there is always room for improvement. 
Simon Power 
: Can the Minister confirm that the Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections Barry Matthews sent an email to all of his employees on 24 May this year stating that the current review of the department’s head office “is not about cutting costs or reducing staff numbers”? 
Hon MITA RIRINUI 
: I cannot confirm whether he sent an email of that nature but I am sure that if he did he had good reason to do so. 
Simon Power 
: Can the Minister confirm that in contrast to the email from the chief executive dated 24 May an internal document for senior managers dated 12 May reveals that one of the project deliverables is to outline where savings can be made including “where staff numbers can be reduced”; and how can the Minister have confidence in his officials when they are less than upfront with their employees? 
Hon MITA RIRINUI 
: I cannot confirm whether the chief executive sent a letter or an email of that nature at all. It is an operational matter. I am sure that if he did he had good reason to do so. But I have to tell that member that in the last 2 years 1221 new Department of Corrections staff have been employed. 
Judy Turner 
: What possible justification can he give as to why his department fails to keep a record of the number of inmates with alcohol and drug addictions when it is accepted that alcohol and drugs are a major cause of criminal activity and antisocial behaviour and are widespread within New Zealand’s prison population? 
Hon MITA RIRINUI 
: My understanding is that when inmates are convicted of a charge relating to alcohol or drugs the probation service holds those records and they are supplied to the Department of Corrections. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: Does the Minister accept the comment made by the Corrections Association president Beven Hanlon following a number of incidents of serious violence in the prison system—including the terrible murder of Liam Ashley—that managers have a vested interest in categorising incidents as minor or as “not requiring official notification” because of incentive bonuses based on reducing incidents; if he does accept those comments does this not once again highlight the need for an independent prison inspectorate that is capable of properly investigating what is really going on in our prisons? 
Hon MITA RIRINUI 
: My advice is that the number of serious assaults has remained constant at about 30 per year but there has been a steady rise in the number of minor assaults. The prison service acknowledges that given the nature of the occupation assaults and difficult situations will arise from time to time. 
Simon Power 
: Can he confirm that in addition to staff being told they would not lose their jobs the general manager also wrote to the Public Service Association (PSA) and the Corrections Association to tell them: “This review should not be regarded as a cost-cutting exercise.”; is this what the senior managers meant when they advocated a clear and transparent communications strategy to mitigate the risk of unsettling corrections staff? 
Hon MITA RIRINUI 
: As I said earlier the Department of Corrections in the last 2 years has employed 1221 new corrections officers. That would fly in the face of what the member is saying in the House today. 
Simon Power 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. My supplementary question did not address the number of employees or new recruits to the Department of Corrections. It specifically asked whether he was aware of a letter to the PSA and the Corrections Association. I understand the Standing Order but that answer went nowhere near addressing the issue of correspondence. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: As I understood the question it was about numbers and the Minister addressed the question. Does the Minister wish to make any further comment? 
Hon MITA RIRINUI 
: I answered that question earlier when I said that no I was not aware of it. 
Ron Mark 
: Why would there not be cuts in staffing at the head office of the Department of Corrections when over the last 5 years we have seen bungles incompetence reduced morale officers having sex with inmates and the entry into prisons of drugs and cellphones with head office apparently having no ability to stop it; why would we not want to slash the 100 analysts currently on the staff of the head office of the Department of Corrections? 
Hon MITA RIRINUI 
: The incidents that the member described were definitely happening in the Department of Corrections before 1999. 
Heather Roy 
: How can he have confidence in his department when 62 personal grievance cases were raised with the department in the 2005-06 year—a much higher figure than for any other Government department—costing the taxpayer over $213000 to settle out of court? 
Hon MITA RIRINUI 
: I am not aware of the number of personal grievance cases within the Department of Corrections but I am sure that any employee who feels the need to lodge a personal grievance has the opportunity to do so under the new employment legislation. 
Simon Power 
: Can he confirm that despite the debacle surrounding the prison construction project it will not be part of the review of head office nor will other issues such as rehab programmes contraband or recruitment and retention problems; if so what is his response to New Zealand First’s statement that the review would cover all those issues given that those members claim that they convinced him to initiate the review in the first place? 
Hon MITA RIRINUI 
: In answer to the first part of the member’s question in relation to the increased costs in the building of some prisons some of those matters are currently under a separate review. 
Judy Turner 
: I seek leave to table the Minister’s answers to written questions Nos 12496 12497 12498 and 12499 which express that the Minister does not consider that collating a record of inmates with drug and alcohol addiction is a good use of his department’s time. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table those documents. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Heather Roy 
: I seek leave of the House to table an answer from the Department of Corrections to an Official Information Act request that shows that in the 2005-06 financial year 62 personal grievance cases were raised with the department and they cost the taxpayer $213000 to settle out of court. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.