Goudie Sandra: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Goudie Sandra: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:657;Page:6794] 
10.  
SANDRA GOUDIE (National—Coromandel) 
 to the  
Minister of Police 
: Has she received any reports on illegal street racer incidents? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Police) 
: 
 Yes. I have received a report that shows that since January 2009 the police have issued more than 1800 offence notices for illegal street racing incidents with more in Canterbury than anywhere else. 
Sandra Goudie 
: Has the Minister received any other reports on illegal street racing incidents? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: Yes. The police regularly report on the disorder caused by illegal street racers. I recently received extremely concerning reports. In the last week alone an innocent motorcyclist died as a result of two vehicles allegedly involved in illegal street racing and an innocent 55-year-old woman in her car was smashed into by two teenagers who were allegedly street racing. 
Todd McClay 
: What other reports has the Minister received on recent illegal street racing incidents? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: I have received a report from the police that shows that 31 boy racers are facing charges—many of them serious—after an illegal street racing incident in Rotorua involving 230 cars and 900 people. It is alleged that those people caused chaos throwing bottles and abusing police officers when they arrived at the venue. That type of incident is far too common and demonstrates yet again the need to toughen up the existing law which is widely acknowledged as being too soft. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: Will the Minister support an amendment to toughen the provisions of the Vehicle Confiscation and Seizure Bill so that permanent confiscation of a third party - owned vehicle would be mandatory after two offences within 4 years rather than the discretionary confiscation and/or crushing after three offences in 4 years for third party - owned vehicles that her bill currently proposes? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: I am sorry to say to that member that following the Labour Party’s minority report on the legislation which was completely littered with inaccuracies— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister might just answer the question asked. 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: I am getting to it. I find it very difficult to accept the member’s statement that— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The House is not troubled whether the Minister finds it difficult to accept a statement. The member asked a perfectly straightforward question; he asked whether the Minister was prepared to consider an alternative to what is currently in the legislation. That question does not deserve an attack on the member; it deserves to be answered. 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: I have read a report in the  
Press 
 from Saturday 19 September which states that Labour has been working constructively with the Government on the legislation. The member asked about some specific provisions that he has never once put to me. It is very difficult to give an answer on a proposition he has never brought to my attention or as far as I am aware to that of anyone else in this party. 
Hon Clayton Cosgrove 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I can do better than only reiterate your earlier ruling. I simply asked the Minister whether I had brought it to her now a week ago or whenever. I am happy to repeat the question; she is the Minister in charge of the bill— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I have supported the member’s question but the Minister gave a perfectly reasonable answer. She made it clear that on a proposition put to her by way of a supplementary question on a serious matter she cannot give the member an absolutely unequivocal answer. She pointed that out. I think that was a fair answer. I was totally dissatisfied and unhappy with her earlier attempts to answer the question but I believe that that answer was perfectly reasonable.