Tremain Chris: Social Assistance (Debt Prevention and Minimisation) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
Tremain Chris: Social Assistance (Debt Prevention and Minimisation) Amendment Bill — In Committee 
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CHRIS TREMAIN (National—Napier) 
: 
 I rise to take a brief call on the Social Assistance (Debt Prevention and Minimisation) Amendment Bill particularly in regard to the purpose of the bill which is the sharing of information between departments. I see here that the proposal is to share information between the Ministry of Social Development the Department of Corrections the New Zealand Customs Service and the Accident Compensation Corporation. This is a fine purpose and is the reason why National is supporting this particular bill and getting right behind it. 
The point I particularly take up is the Minister Ruth Dyson’s call about National petty politicking around civil servants and the job they do. On the one hand I agree with the Minister—the civil servants out there in the large do an amazing job. But these civil servants often have to cope with a very difficult system. The system has particularly let them down in the Hawke’s Bay over recent years. There are two cases I would like to highlight. The first one was a very difficult case of a young child sex offender who had committed a number of very serious crimes as a young man and had ended up back in Napier being cared for by two minders and a supervisor. A constituent of mine came to me about it. This gentleman ended up climbing the fence some 14 times and putting at risk my constituent and her young daughter. 
The fact of the matter was that no information had been shared—no information had been shared with the local police or within Child Youth and Family between the Auckland division and the local department. So when this young lady found this gentleman over her fence wondered what he was doing there and subsequently found out he was a child sex offender she became extremely concerned. When the lack of information sharing was subsequently found out one had to ask whether there had been a breakdown in the system. On the other side of the coin the civil servants were most concerned about this and wanted to make sure that things were put right. 
Another case is before us right now concerning a young man—an 11-year-old child—in my constituency who has been difficult. He is in the guardianship of Child Youth and Family as we speak. He went into its guardianship at the age of 8. He is a very difficult young man and I am not going to stand up here and pretend he is an easy case to deal with by any stretch. He was given a 3-month supervisory term up in the Auckland childcare facility and after 3 months was released back to foster care in Wairoa. Within 4 hours this young child had moved on—had escaped. I guess that is what it was; he was put into foster care but escaped. That young man has largely been on the run—can members believe this—for some 3 months now. He actually hitchhiked to Hamilton. I put this in my own perspective. I look at my own 11-year-old boy and wonder how my 11-year-old boy could manage to hitchhike up to Hamilton. This young man did so and he ended up with the mob. He ended up back down in Wairoa again with the mob and ultimately ended up back with his parents. He committed a significant number of crimes and was taken back in by police. But he is now on the run again and has been committing a significant number of crimes again. 
But I want to make the point here that in this case information sharing between the departments was not happening. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Marian Hobbs) 
: It is a stretch of this legislation—not quite in this bill—but carry on. 
CHRIS TREMAIN 
: The point I make is that National supports information sharing between departments. It is critical that information is shared so that children like that young 11-year-old—who is still on the run—can be helped. He needs to be under Child Youth and Family guardianship. Information should be shared with the police so that they can help to capture him and to allow some of these hard-working civil servants to do their jobs properly. Thank you Madam Chair. 
The question was put that the amendments set out on Supplementary Order Paper 184 in the name of the Hon Ruth Dyson to Part 1 be agreed to. 
Amendments agreed to. 
Part 1 as amended agreed to.