Mark Ron: Young Offenders (Serious Crimes) Bill — First Reading 
Mark Ron: Young Offenders (Serious Crimes) Bill — First Reading 
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RON MARK (NZ First) 
: 
 I move  
That the Young Offenders (Serious Crimes) Bill be now read a first time. 
 At the appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be considered by the Law and Order Committee. The purpose of this bill is to address serious crimes being committed by young offenders and to provide a deterrent to younger people becoming involved in serious crime which inevitably and almost certainly results in their becoming adult criminals and moving on to populate our corrections facilities. 
Young offenders and in some cases only children have been responsible for a recent spate of very serious and shocking crimes. That was included in the explanatory note of the bill when it was written 4 years ago. The tragedy is that 4 years on from then the situation has got worse. There is also a clear perception amongst New Zealanders that the youth justice system is too lenient towards such offenders and that the system we have in place is simply not working. Beyond a certain point I believe that society has a responsibility to take control of the situation and to enact measures and procedures that deter young people from such acts. We believe that at a certain point—regardless of other circumstances and regardless of the situations that may have contributed to or are contributing to that young person’s life and the way in which they are offending—society must draw a line and say: “Beyond here you go no further.” 
Justice now requires that a different balance be struck in respect of serious offending by young persons. This bill proposes that young offenders who commit serious crimes should be accountable for their crimes in more or less the same way adult offenders are. New Zealand First has long advocated a review of the youth justice system. Part of our policy promulgated in election manifesto after election manifesto is designed to improve the youth justice system. Our position incorporates a longstanding policy to reduce the age of criminal responsibility. 
Another part of New Zealand First’s law and order policy in the area of youth justice is the implementation of a “three strikes and you’re out” policy. Most New Zealanders do understand that after the third warning that is their lot. We need to enshrine this principal in law and use it to enable us to guide and mentor young people who are at risk. 
Both these policies are dealt with in this bill. By supporting this bill to the select committee other political parties can see these policies enacted in law. Having this bill brought before the select committee will—more important—give the New Zealand public and those charged with the responsibility for administering the youth justice system an opportunity to discuss this issue to air openly once and for all the problems they encounter and give us a chance to improve the law to help them administer the system. More important it will give us a chance to save the lives and the futures of hundreds of at-risk young children. 
I would like to address a couple of misconceptions that have been circulating regarding this bill. Firstly this bill was drafted over 4 years ago and has been sitting in the ballot waiting for that lucky lotto number to be drawn. When I drafted the bill I made it clear that we were seeking to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 10. Tonight I confirm particularly to the National Party that that is not now the intention. We will adjust this bill in the select committee to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 14 to 12—the target is 12 not 10. Members will have noted that clause 12 in Part 2 is entitled “Children between 10 and 14”. That is the clause we will amend. 
Secondly I would like to address some misconceived views that are being bandied about by some opposing parties. Some members have attempted to claim that the passing of this bill will result in more young people in prison. Let me make it clear that this bill does not remove the Youth Court. It does not attempt to change the Family Court. It does not remove family group conferences. It does not change in any way by any iota the youth justice services that are available to young people today. After this bill is enacted those services will continue—and I hope in a far better fashion and to greater effect. Above and beyond anything this bill helps people who deal with youth offenders in the field and are sick and tired of young people considering themselves at the age of 13 or 14 to be 10 feet tall and bulletproof. 
I have travelled the country during the 10 years I have been in Parliament—and I think I am the longest-serving Law and Order Committee member spokesperson and advocate in this House. When I ask police officers—Maori Pakeha men women superintendents inspectors commissioners and right down to the lowest levels—what one law Parliament could change tomorrow to help them deal with their problems on the street and help reduce youth offending they all say the same thing: if we change the Children Young Persons and Their Families Act and the Crimes Act to lower the age of criminal responsibility and remove from these young people the feeling that they cannot be charged imprisoned or held to account youth offending will plummet. It will do so for two reasons. First and foremost the mere fact that they can be charged and held accountable is in itself for most young people who are just pushing the limits and testing things a deterrent. Second the gangs and insidious creeps who prey on our children and use them to commit crimes because they know those children can never be charged will be put out of business immediately because that protection will be removed. That will help stop gangs using kids to burgle homes to order and get goods that they then fence off repaying the kids with tinnies. That is the sort of scourge we have on our streets. 
If there is one aspect of this bill I am passionate about it is that I do not want to see young people going to jail as a result of it. I do not want to see one more child in a youth detention centre. Let me make that clear. Some members have said that this bill will put young children in jails. Before those members get on their feet to make speeches on that and mislead the House I tell them that this bill will not do that. I want to see young people saved by being given the realisation that there is a limit beyond which their offending will not be tolerated. They will enjoy the benefits of the existing youth justice system. Let us be clear about that—even though it ain’t exactly successful. For all the hoopla and talk that I hear about how effective the family group conferences are how effective the youth justice system is and how effective Child Youth and Family Services is—well that is so effective it has been disbanded. How is that for effectiveness? How is that for credibility? Finally even the Labour Government has given up on Child Youth and Family Services. 
I will leave the House with one name and one thought to ponder. Had a more appropriate intervention or warning been available for young Bailey Kurariki would he today be in a youth detention facility serving a sentence for manslaughter? I will argue to my grave that he would not. I will argue to my grave that had proper interventions taken place and had the deterrent existed at an earlier stage young Bailey would never have been involved in that act of manslaughter. Another point to ponder is that if Michael Choy had survived that vicious and mean attack the law as it currently stands would not have allowed the police to charge Bailey with what he did. The really serious crime is that kids can commit serious crime today and get away with it. This bill seeks to change that. I look forward to the other speeches to my speech in reply and to the opportunity to discuss this bill in the wider forum provided by the select committee.