Gallagher Martin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Gallagher Martin: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:623;Page:18324] 
8.  
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
 to the  
Minister of Justice 
: What actions are being taken by the Government to reduce car theft and why? 
Hon PHIL GOFF (Minister of Justice) 
: 
 Key features of the recently announced Vehicle Crime Reduction Programme include the fitting of most newly imported vehicles with immobilisers and whole-of-vehicle marking. These are best-practice procedures for cutting car crime internationally and where introduced they have cut significantly both opportunistic and professional car theft. The reason for the measures is that ultimately the solution to crime is not waiting for it to happen and then responding but putting in place effective preventive measures. That stops people from becoming victims and saves literally hundreds of millions of dollars in insured and uninsured car theft losses police time court time and corrections time. 
Martin Gallagher 
: What evidence is there that the measures proposed by the Government will effectively and really reduce crime rates in this particular area and will be really cost effective? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: There is hard and spectacular evidence. Since BMWs and Holdens in Australia have had to be marked thefts of those vehicles have dropped by 60 and 73 percent respectively. In New Zealand that measure was introduced for Subarus in March 2003. I am told by Subaru that not one vehicle has been stolen since that time. In Western Australia and Britain where it has been introduced car thefts have dropped overall by between a quarter and a third. It is very effective and is the way to bring down crime spectacularly. 
Dr Richard Worth 
: When did the Minister first learn that a similar scheme in South Africa had utterly failed—that when immobilisers came into widespread use there in the 1990s the number of car thefts was in the order of 70000 per year and it has increased to around 140000 today—and is it not the case that we are pursuing a policy that is akin to having mandatory curfews for women in order to reduce rape? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: It is curious that Mr Worth is apparently opposed to this policy because his colleague Mr Ryall said it was a very good first step. However in answer to his question— 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: When? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I have a copy here. I will table it for the member if he denies it. Would the member like me to table it? The fact is that the programme to be introduced in New Zealand has been based on that used in comparable countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia where standards have been set for the type of immobiliser. Therefore we can expect the same sorts of results that have been seen in those countries not the atypical example that he quoted. 
Ron Mark 
: Does the Minister not realise that the biggest problem ordinary New Zealanders face with car thefts today is recidivist youth offenders under the age of 17 who steal cars to joyride then trash them with impunity because they know they cannot be prosecuted or sent to jail; if so why does he not simply adopt my Young Offenders (Serious Crimes) Bill which would allow youth offenders who consistently steal cars to be prosecuted by the police? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: Quite simply because the member’s bill will not work. This measure will. The member is right in this respect: 80 percent of car thefts are by joyriders—by opportunistic kids and others who take the car use it and dump it and sometimes crash it and kill people in the meantime. The fact is if one has an immobiliser the easy way of hot-wiring a car is no longer possible and one kills that crime stone dead. 
Ron Mark 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. In the interests of reducing car theft I— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Would the member just ask if he wants to table— 
Ron Mark 
: I seek the leave of the House to table my Young Offenders (Serious Crimes) Bill and have it placed at the top of the Order Paper to be debated at the first available opportunity. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is there any objection to that course being followed? There is. 
Hon Phil Goff 
: I seek the leave of the House to table a document from the  
New Zealand Herald— 
I think it is—where Tony Ryall states that the plan was a very good first step which is in contradiction to apparently what Mr Worth has said. Obviously they do not talk to each other. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.