Goudie Sandra: Corrections (Contract Management of Prisons) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Goudie Sandra: Corrections (Contract Management of Prisons) Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Sitting date: 17 November 2009. Volume:659;Page:7728. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
SANDRA GOUDIE (National—Coromandel) 
: 
 I am delighted to speak to the Corrections (Contract Management of Prisons) Amendment Bill which I see as an opportunity for innovation and new ideas. The previous Labour Government had that opportunity but trampled all over it and got rid of it as soon as it could. I thank my colleagues on the Law and Order Committee who did an outstanding job and I also acknowledge David Garrett from ACT who made a sensible contribution. Opposition members had plenty of time to understand how a private contract for the management of a prison might operate but their ideology prevents them from even considering it. There are not any principles involved; this is about ideology and about safeguarding the stronghold of unions. But unions by their very nature cripple innovation and new ideas. That is the ideology of the Opposition. But this Government believes that this bill will pave the way for innovation in a safe and effective way in terms of the management of the incarceration of offenders. 
It is crucial that we actually deliver the very best Department of Corrections service for New Zealand. To do that we should not limit our choices; we should have alternative ways of doing things so we have some way of measuring the performance of each one. In order to have a world-class corrections system we need that exposure to world-class innovation and expertise. We can get that by allowing private companies to provide those custodial services and create the opportunity to benefit from private sector initiatives and know-how. It is quite clear that the Auckland remand prison started that innovation when it had the opportunity before Labour squashed it in 2004. It was the first prison to have Maori involvement in its management and our understanding is that it was highly successful yet it was trampled over by the previous Government. It was not seen as something that was important. One of the most appealing aspects of private prison management will be the ability to build performance incentives and penalties into the contract but public safety is one of the top priorities. 
I see that the Opposition has been going on about the core principle of the Crown being responsible for the incarceration of criminals and that it should not contract out that responsibility. But the Crown contracts out its responsibility in a range of fields. The only one that I can think of is that it sets the rules by which we can drive a car but we do not expect the car to be driven for us. 
Carmel Sepuloni 
: That’s ridiculous! 
SANDRA GOUDIE 
: Well I could not think of another analogy quickly enough but that is pretty much it. Why should this be the only area of core responsibility that it should not be able to contract out? 
This bill is about new ideas and independent benchmarks but of course the Opposition is bereft of any of those. It is also about leadership and leadership makes that difference. Private prison managers will raise standards across the whole of the corrections sector. At least we in National are willing to provide the opportunity for that to happen whereas the Opposition is not open even to considering that as an option and that is a real shame. How can we move forward unless we have some innovation and new ideas? We are all for that. 
The bill which is about prison management contracts will set out a number of requirements the sorts of requirements we discussed at length in the select committee: objective and performance standards no lower than those of publicly run prisons staff training coordination of services and processes with publicly run prisons maintenance of insurance to indemnify the Crown avoidance of conflicts of interest provision of rehabilitation and reintegration programmes and dispute resolution and termination provisions. Of course there is an opportunity here for private prisons to do a far better job than prisons that are managed by the Crown. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: Than they did last time? 
SANDRA GOUDIE 
: They did that last time. 
Hon Lianne Dalziel 
: No they didn’t. Look at the facts. 
SANDRA GOUDIE 
: Well I think they did. This is a bone of contention. Perhaps under the previous Government they were not allowed to have that opportunity which is no surprise. Why are we not surprised? Opposition members talk also about the fact that there is no accountability. Well actually there is but they want it to go far beyond the reasonable inquiries of the actual contract management of the prison and into the financial position of the company that might have the contract which is far beyond the contract itself. Once again that is the whole issue of micromanaging nanny State ideology which is a hallmark of the Opposition is it not? 
National is absolutely delighted to progress the Corrections (Contract Management of Prisons) Amendment Bill. I heartily support the exceptional leadership of the Minister of Corrections Judith Collins and commend the National Government for bringing this bill to the House.