Arbuckle JamieJAMIE ARBUCKLE (NZ First): Thank you Madam Speaker. I rise on behalf of New Zealand First to speak on this member's bill the Parole (Mandatory Completion of Rehabilitative Programmes) Amendment Bill.First I'd just like to say towards Todd Stephenson for getting this bill picked out of the cookie jar—how we all wish for that happen for all of us. It is a good bill to be pulled out and we fully agree—New Zealand First does—that this should be put to the Justice Committee. We believe that that is the right direction for this.We are aware that prisoners on release they face barriers—many barriers—back into society. Why wouldn't we want to try to upskill and why wouldn't we try to promote programmes? You would have to ask yourself: in the situation if they have the opportunity to upskill and to do rehab why wouldn't someone take that offer on? From New Zealand First's point of view we're a party of common sense. It makes common sense that if you're in that situation you would take the opportunity to try to improve your life.I always look at it from a simple point of view. I always look at it from the victim's point of view. If a victim has been a victim of crime and someone's been put away and they've been locked up—if the victim could actually look and see that someone's making an effort to try to change their life that actually makes you feel better. That actually makes you feel like someone is trying to put in the effort.The one thing—it's been new for myself sitting on the Justice Committee—James Meager: Great committee.JAMIE ARBUCKLE: It is a great committee. We've got a great chair—Hon Member: Ha ha! Don't go that far.Hon Member: Very good—very good.JAMIE ARBUCKLE: We've got a very good committee. But the Department of Corrections came and spoke to us recently and in their report—and it was quite surprising going through their report that went through the facilities that are around New Zealand. What really surprised me as a new member was seeing the opportunities and the opportunities for upskilling and education. I remember asking the Department of Corrections some questions about the uptake and the uptake of prisoners doing those courses. That uptake for most is pretty high. I did ask: how could we do more? How could we incentivise that more so we get more progress? Some programmes—I was told—work better than others.One of my portfolios for New Zealand First is horticulture. It was quite interesting hearing that that is a programme that has great uptake. Carpentry—something that this country has a deficit of at the moment in our building industry. So why don't we teach it? It makes common sense to me that people have the opportunity to take on those courses and to come out and actually then be able to go back into society and find a job. I think this is something about this side of the House and this Government—we want to see people back into work. If we can encourage people back into work and give them the skills that is going to be something that is great for New Zealand and something that is great for the person that is involved because they feel like they have achieved something.It is also as we know building people's education around literacy and numeracy—if we can upskill those basic skills while someone is in this situation and they can come out and be more upskilled.The one thing that I did take from the bill—and I did want to speak to it and I didn't want to take the fame for it—was new section 24A inserted by clause 5. In this it has at subsection 3 that if people actually do these courses and upskill themselves there's an incentive—parole can actually be brought forward. That is amazing and that's the type of stuff that we need to encourage.New Zealand First will support this to the first reading and beyond. Justice Committee—we look forward to hearing it. Thank you.