Alexander Marc: Corrections Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
Alexander Marc: Corrections Bill — In Committee Speaker Recalled In Committee 
[Volume:617;Page:13153] 
MARC ALEXANDER (United Future) 
: 
 Does anybody believe that this Government is listening to the people? I do not think that it is. It is not listening to Maori or the public of New Zealand and it is certainly not listening to the victims of this country. It does not listen to Eru Thompson a prison counsellor who wrote: “It surprises me that Nandor Tanczos the Green spokesman on corrections thinks that prison culture in our publicly managed prisons is going to improve overnight. Here we have a prison”—referring to the privately managed prison—“that is functioning superbly for inmates our community and the Government.” However the backing of the Greens is going to reverse the progress and that will result in negative outcomes for inmates all for the sake of politics. 
I have a transcript of a note to Nandor Tanczos from Toi Maihi who said: “We are shocked and appalled to hear that you are supporting Paul Swain in his attempts to outlaw private prisons in this country. We thought you understood our feelings.”—and then a warning—“Be assured that if this bill passes because of your stance we will ensure that every Maori radio station in this country will be broadcasting that fact as will emails and any other media vehicle. In the past the Green Party has picked up quite a few from Maori but if you consign our unfortunates to the prevalent so-called corrections culture I wouldn’t count on you having much of a political future.” 
The Greens are not listening to Maori to the public of this country and that is strange. Contrast that with some of the comments that have come from its members. Comments from Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald in 1999 included: “We say prisons are dinosaurs of the modern age. In no other area—health education accounting banking sport or whatever—do we allow 19th century philosophy and practice to dominate.” Now the Greens are going to turn around and support it; what an about-face! What did they get for it? What little political sop did they get for this about-turn? At the election next year the Greens will be punished severely by the population by Maori and anybody with a remote sense of common sense. 
They go on to say that the Greens support alternatives and it is called Auckland remand but they now want it killed. It is an absolute irony. Nandor Tanczos himself said in July 2001: “If the Minister and the public are to have any faith in this department and in the process surrounding this proposed prison the whole thing needs to be independently investigated to the full.” That is referring to Ngawha Prison. 
There is an unholy alliance between the Labour Party ideologues and the Green Party ideologues who now want to get rid of the one best thing in our Department of Corrections. Now they want a review—not a review to find out the truth and then base a decision upon it but a review as a kind of sop to Maori as if “Yes we are taking your view into consideration but guess what we’ve already pre-determined the decision; we made the decision ahead of time.” Who in their right mind does that? Nobody with half a brain could make a decision before he or she found out the facts that related to it. That is what Labour and that is what the Greens are doing. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: This Minister can. 
MARC ALEXANDER 
: That is right. That Minister can. I hope that if the Government has a review it will base it on independence and look at iwi partnership health mental health risk assessment suicide prevention alcohol and drugs education and rehabilitation and Maori culture and prison culture with an open mind but I bet it will not. It will have predetermined positions on all of this and it will squash all the benefits that have emerged so far in the privately managed prison. 
We heard from the National Party that when it returns to Government this legislation will be one of the first things it will repeal. I tell members that my vote will be there. National can count on my vote to reverse the shocking ideological vote of Labour the Greens and the redundant Alliance leftovers—the dogsbodies the Progressives—will be on. 
Hon Matt Robson 
: I raise a point of order Madam Chair. That was a hurtful comment. The Standing Orders state that members cannot use hurtful comments. When that member’s leader was just a one-person party in this Parliament we were very kind to him. Sometimes we forgot his name but we were kind. I am sure that the Standing Orders do state that members cannot make hurtful comments and if they do not they should. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: I did not catch that comment. I was talking to the Clerk at the time. Did the member refer to another member in derogatory terms? 
MARC ALEXANDER 
: I would not have called it derogatory. I would rather have called it truthful. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: Did the member refer to the member by anything else but his name? 
MARC ALEXANDER 
: Not specifically to the member but I did refer— 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: The member knows that he cannot use an unbecoming term to refer to another member. 
MARC ALEXANDER 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Ann Hartley) 
: Thank you. 
MARC ALEXANDER 
: I will then rephrase whatever I might have said and refer to the party as the dogsbody. That party will certainly not be around after the next election and neither will the comical former Minister of Corrections. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Did the member hear Jill Pettis say that his party was mad? 
Jill Pettis 
: No I said the member. 
MARC ALEXANDER 
: I am continually reminded that when Jill Pettis starts to screech and scream she sounds very much like a car door has slammed on her genitals.