Wilkinson Kate: Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Bill — First Reading 
Wilkinson Kate: Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:646;Page:15763] 
KATE WILKINSON (National) 
: 
 I too rise today to speak in support of the Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Bill at its first reading. It has been mentioned that although it is a locally drafted bill reflecting local conditions in Wanganui and championed by my colleague the member for Whanganui Chester Borrows it is an issue that I believe will be closely monitored by other regions and councils around the country that like Wanganui are also affected by the presence of gangs and gang activity on a regular basis. I know that this is not an uncontentious bill. Not everyone agrees with it but it at least deserves scrutiny. 
The purpose of the bill as has been stated is to prohibit the wearing of gang insignia in specified places in the district of the Wanganui District Council. Gang members are already prevented from wearing their gang patches in public places including court houses petrol stations and police stations. That is not so different from what the Wanganui District Council wants to achieve with the bill: banning patches in the city centre and local parks. 
Yes there is a fear of what comes next—the banning of anything that might be vaguely intimidating such as burkas and hoodies. That is certainly worth considering. But this bill is a start. It is at least starting the debate. The prohibition of gang insignia is a field we should be looking at. It is debatable and National believes we should debate it. 
Wanganui residents have expressed fear of patched gang members including those from the Mongrel Mob Black Power and Hell’s Angels gangs all three of which are prominent in some neighbourhoods shopping centres parks and central business districts. This fear was expressed clearly in the results of a local referendum in early 2007 whereby 64 percent of voters in Wanganui approved of the intentions of this bill. 
Who could forget the fatal shooting of 2-year-old Jhia Te Tua as she slept on a couch in the lounge of her parents’ house in May last year? This poor child got caught up in Wanganui’s gang wars between two of the gangs and none of it was of her own making. She paid for it with her life. We must make it clear however that this bill was initiated before that tragedy and is not a knee-jerk reaction to it. 
I also praise the efforts of the New Zealand Police whose increased presence in Wanganui policing gang activity in the wake of that incident substantially reduced crime. Their presence has also made it clear that antisocial criminal activity shown by members who are involved in or with the gangs will not be tolerated. The question that we must ask is what will happen when the spotlight is removed from Wanganui once the trial has been conducted and completed. Will the police be able to police the gangs with the same intensity as has been displayed so far? 
There is no doubt that if we want to get tough on crime we need to crack down on gangs. The police are in total agreement. They view this legislation as another tool in the tool box making it easier for them to do their job. Yes there are those who portray gangs as a mix of those from the school of hard knocks searching for an identity or for a family substitute and for where they can find the sense of belonging and connection they are lacking. But it is also arguable that some gangs exist to plan and commit crime. The links of many gang members to crime are plain for us all to see. 
I want to make it perfectly clear that the wearing of gang insignia is not the only factor that makes gang members intimidating nor will the banning of gang insignia in the city centre and parks within Wanganui completely rid the city of gang activity. What it will do hopefully is allow the residents of Wanganui to reclaim their streets in order to go about their business without fear or trepidation. This bill is a small step. It may give the police the extra tools they need in order to take direct enforcement action and stop any perceived or real intimidation to public safety. 
The bill raises some issues that need to be dealt with during the select committee process. Issues such as enforcement the tattooing of gang insignia on faces and freedom of speech have been mentioned just to name a few. There is a concern that by banning gang patches we are simply glorifying the patch and what is symbolises. But I hope that the Law and Order Committee will be able to take a serious look at the bill seriously debate it seriously examine it and seriously consider the issues. On that basis National supports the bill going to select committee scrutiny.