Macindoe Tim: Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims (2012 Expiry and Application Dates) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Macindoe Tim: Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims (2012 Expiry and Application Dates) Amendment Bill — Third Reading 
[Sitting date: 28 June 2012. Volume:681;Page:3510. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
TIM MACINDOE (National—Hamilton West) 
: 
 I thank Mr Chauvel for that indication and I want to reiterate that the purpose of this bill the Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims (2012 Expiry and Application Dates) Amendment Bill is to extend the restrictions on the awarding of compensation for 1 year from 1 July. That is just 2 days away. This is very important to ensure that the victims claims process continues to apply to any compensation awarded or to be paid pursuant to an out-of-court final settlement in respect of a prisoner’s claim made on or after 1 July this year. 
 It is a bill to bridge the gap between the expiry of the current regime and progressing the Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims (Redirecting Prisoner Compensation) Amendment Bill which is the 2011 bill through the House. The 2011 bill provides for the existing victims claims process to be made permanent and redirects any prisoners compensation remaining after that process to fund services and programmes for the victims of crime. Although I appreciate that most parties in this House are supporting this bill’s passage through the House—and I do thank them for that—I am also aware that some members opposite have been critical of the Government’s management of this measure in the previous debates on it and during the Committee stage in particular. So I would like to place a couple of facts on the record about their own management of the legislative process. 
Part of the reason for this particular measure is the fact that Labour left behind a criminal justice system in disarray. It was lacking accountability and it certainly lacked a focus on victims. Labour promised a victims compensation scheme in 1994 1996 2005 and at the beginning of 2008 but it never delivered it. So it is a bit rich to come into this House now and criticise the fact that we are having to pass this measure. 
This Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims (2012 Expiry and Application Dates) Amendment Bill must be enacted tomorrow. That is how important it is. The consequences of failing to do so would be significant and clearly contrary to the public interest. 
I conclude by simply repeating the observations of the Minister of Justice that this is a very straightforward bill that maintains the status quo for a limited period. I remind the House that the Government has introduced a bill to give effect to our policy of redirecting prisoners compensation to support victims of crime as the public overwhelmingly expects and demands rather than paying it to prisoners and to make that new regime permanent. 
Rather than rushing that measure this interim bill will bridge the gap and ensure that the redirecting prisoner compensation bill that has been introduced may be accorded proper consideration and a full select committee process. All members should welcome that and I know that interested members of the public who will want to have the opportunity to submit on that bill and to be engaged in the process will also appreciate that consideration. 
I welcome the anticipated passage of the 2012 expiry bill this afternoon and its enactment tomorrow and I look forward to working on the measure that will replace it on a more permanent basis during the months ahead.