Gallagher Martin: Independent Police Conduct Authority Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Gallagher Martin: Independent Police Conduct Authority Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:641;Page:11692] 
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 I will take a relatively brief call. It was my privilege and pleasure to be the chairperson of the Law and Order Committee that considered this Independent Police Conduct Authority Bill now quite some time ago. The reason for the length of time this bill took to finally come to fruition—in terms of this reading the third reading—has been well documented by the Minister of Justice and by other speakers. 
The bill provides the legislative basis for a strengthened and independent authority in which the public can have full confidence. It is really important to ensure that the public of New Zealand has confidence in an independent complaints and review process and that the public continues to have confidence in the New Zealand Police. Indeed if the public does not have confidence in the police force of this country then in my view the very functioning of our democracy and its institutions the notion of separation of powers between the judiciary and the legislative and executive wings and our whole society as we know it are brought into peril. We see many negative examples around the world of societies that do not have confidence in the operation of their police. So I think this is a very very important bill. 
I acknowledge the previous speakers Dr Richard Worth the Hon Mark Burton Russell Fairbrother and Ron Mark who have detailed in great depth the importance of the bill. I will not repeat the very important points that they have made. I take an opportunity however to thank those who were members of the Law and Order Committee at the time this bill was considered starting with the deputy chair Marc Alexander. If Marc Alexander had been No. 3 on the United Future list he would still be in Parliament today. I think United Future members have a sense of humour and dare I say it I think they would see the irony of Mr Alexander’s placement in terms of what happened to their No. 3 person. That irony would not be lost. Marc Alexander made a very good contribution to the bill and I thank him for being a good deputy chair at the time. I thank the New Zealand First member Edwin Perry for his very good contribution. The deputy leader of New Zealand First is in the House at the moment and is fully endorsing and nodding avidly at that sentiment— 
Peter Brown 
: I’ll pass it on. 
MARTIN GALLAGHER 
: I say to that member please do pass it on because Edwin Perry made a good contribution. In respect of National members the Hon Tony Ryall generally made a good contribution. Brian Connell a very respected member of the National Party made an excellent contribution and I ask the National Party members to convey that to him please. I also acknowledge Georgina Beyer Ann Hartley and the Hon Mahara Okeroa from the Government side for their contribution. I acknowledge the advisers parliamentary counsel for all their good hard work and also Tracey Rayner and other members of the select committee staff at the time. I think it is important that we acknowledge those people among the many who made a contribution on this bill. 
Without further ado I believe that this is a relatively historic time in that the Independent Police Conduct Authority Amendment Bill will give us a truly independent body that is seen to be independent. I also think it will go some way to making sure that we restore full confidence in the New Zealand Police. Whatever faults we have read about and learnt about—and at least as a society we have addressed those—I still strongly believe that we have one of the best police forces in the world. It is really important that we collectively get behind it. Where there are one or two bad processes or bad apples the Independent Police Conduct Authority will be the independent body to review them. Thank you Mr Deputy Speaker.