SpeechBRETT HUDSON (National): Thank you Mr Speaker. I rise to speak on the Protection for First Responders and Prison Officers Bill in this its second reading. Now National supports a tough approach on those who cause harm to our first responders. We've all seen just recently just how perilous life can be for our first responders and what harm can mean—in the extreme. There are also so many occasions when our first responders—and indeed in cases corrections officers—are placed in harm's way and do suffer less harm but harm none the less. We do agree that that is wrong. We supported this bill at first reading going to the Justice Committee with some reservations which I'll touch on in a minute or two. I actually share one view of Mr Ball on this bill or the Justice Committee and that is that it's deeply disappointing that the Justice Committee could not reach a position on the bill driven in part at least because Government members on that committee refused an extension of time to properly consider the bill. Why was the extra time required? Well because of the impact of COVID the impact of COVID and the impact that that had—quite rightly actually—on the work that was to be undertaken by parliamentarians. The Leader of the House going into lockdown told us that we wouldn't be meeting to take care of non - COVID-19-related legislation. In the case of this member's bill he was true to his word; it wasn't true in the case that the committee's time was spent dealing with prisoner voting. The voting record in the Hansard shows that New Zealand First supported that decision. But a consequence of that was that this bill didn't get consideration over that time. When members on this side sought an extension for the Justice Committee to be able to have the time to seek a resolution on that the Government members refused. What is more I understand the member in charge of the bill was invited to present his Supplementary Order Papers (SOPs) to that select committee and refused that invitation. So as a result we have a bill—Darroch Ball: I'd be very careful about getting the facts straight.BRETT HUDSON: —in front of the House—now that member his party has voted down every tough on crime" member's bill that this Opposition has put forward. They have put their closeness to their coalition partner their cuddling up with them above "tough on crime" for the public every time this term. So if he thinks we will stand here and worry about how he might vote on a bill later on the Order Paper he's got another think coming. He may not actually get a chance to speak on that bill when it does come up because what I heard tonight what I heard this evening I think was a valedictory speech from Mr Ball. It's just a shame there was no public audience to witness it.But none the less on this bill we do support a tough approach on those that harm our first responders. They do so much good for New Zealanders; they should not be in harm's way. Regrettably they are. It is a wrong thing that they are put in that position to begin with and it does warrant a seriousness in the way that those that do assault and injure our first responders should suffer a consequence for that. In the first reading we said that we had reservations around a minimum sentence. Regrettably that wasn't resolved in select committee. Because of that the committee of the whole House becomes the stage where such matters should be and would need to be debated and resolved. So we will support this bill making it to that stage at least because we think it's a matter that needs to be resolved. But we'll reserve our ultimate position to see just how the member in charge and indeed members opposite are open to constructive discussion in that stage and—very possibly—possibly some amendments. We also want the opportunity there to scrutinise the member in charge of the SOPs because as I say he refused to present them to the select committee during the period that it was in front of that committee.So look with those reservations and with much to come yet—should there be enough votes to pass this bill tonight; it looks promising from the member's perspective at the moment—with that in mind at this stage we will commend the bill to the House."