Bridges Simon: Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Bill — First Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Bridges Simon: Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Bill — First Reading 
[Sitting date: 15 August 2012. Volume:682;Page:4463. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Minister of Consumer Affairs) 
: 
 For several years I was a Crown prosecutor in the Bay of Plenty prosecuting jury trials in small provincial towns and provincial cities. Can I say that in the course of doing that I met and had really quite a lot of interaction with patched gang members—probably in the hundreds. I met them in court I have examined them I have cross-examined them I have met them outside of court I have talked with them I have briefed them and I have actually been in their homes in small towns around the Bay of Plenty. I have been in gang pads. I have seen how they live. I understand I think probably as well can I say as anyone in this House who was not an officer—and I know we are going to hear from some officers in this debate—about gang members. 
Let me tell this House that they can be personable one on one. They can be articulate. They can be smart. They can be cunning but together and when they put their patch on it is a very different story. Let me say to this House that there is nothing good about gangs—not a single thing that is good about gangs. They are thugs they are drug dealers they are rapists and they are murderers. They do those things all around this country every week of the year. This country does not deserve to suffer the consequences of that. There is nothing good about gangs in this country. 
There is a different somewhat trendy view from the Rajen Prasads of this world from the do-gooders of this world who say: “Actually you know gangs are OK. They’re friendly cuddly motorcycle clubs. As they get older they reform themselves. They have whanau barbeques and everything is OK.” Well I say that is rubbish. I have contempt for that view because there is nothing good about gangs and this bill the Prohibition of Gang Insignia in Government Premises Bill is doing something about it. When gang members put the patch on they become a different person. They put it on for one reason: to create fear and to intimidate others. There is no good reason as I say for gangs and there is no good reason for gang patches. 
I say that the Labour Party’s view and position on this bill is contemptible. Andrew Little says: “Oh you’re just doing this to get tough.” That is what he says. Well yes we are tough on gangs and crime in this country. If that party opposite wants to know why it is doing so poorly in the polls and why the provinces wholeheartedly reject it maybe it wants to look at its soft approach to crime. Maybe those members want to look at themselves and understand why they are doing so poorly because actually we are tough on crime and we are tough on gangs and we make no apology for everything we do that makes it harder for gangs to operate in this society. We have contempt for them. We have contempt for what they do. They are thugs they are rapists they are drug dealers and they are murderers. I wholeheartedly support anything that makes it difficult for them against a trendy sort of liberal view that we have from the other side that somehow we should be apologists for them. Well we will not be on this side of the House.