Baillie ChrisCHRIS BAILLIE (ACT): Crime's out of control in this wonderful country and we need to let the police do their job and support them when they do. Soft on crime" has become a popular catchphrase but it goes deeper than that. This increase in crime is a result of naive Government ideologies and a massive disconnect between real life and office-dwellers. We're told that the way to deal with gangs is to get to know them and ask them what they need. We have a senior Minister saying that it's better to be shot by a shotgun than a semi-automatic—that's the success of the gun buyback. The same Minister said recently that he spoke to a policeman a few months ago who told him he feels a lot safer after that gun buyback. It's just nonsense. I speak to police every day and they don't and neither do good law-abiding licensed firearms owners knowing that their details could be in criminals' hands if not now then later when the proposed firearms register fails.Youth crime must be addressed before the kids on our street become bling-wearing adult criminals. A few months back an MP who sits not too far from me said that young people can't commit crime; they just don't understand what they're doing. I realised then that we're going to head down this path for a little bit longer. Young people haven't changed from 10 20 50 years ago—they're all the same. What is different is how we treat them react to their behaviour. Burying your head in the sand telling kids that it's not their fault and blaming everyone else and everything else is not the answer. Young ram-raiders are saying "We know the police won't chase us." There must be a consequence to these actions and we can't continue to excuse violent and criminal behaviour. Young people want boundaries. It shows them that you care about them that you want them to succeed and to learn. This doesn't mean just giving them everything they want.Education is the key and kids who can't read will get into trouble. Seventy percent of prison inmates are functionally illiterate but instead of reading with blind ideology we're going to make teachers prioritise a dodgy history curriculum. Young people know when a teacher genuinely cares about them. It's a teacher who tells them off and makes them finish their work and use their manners. Kids actually want that. It's easy to blame parents but I'm a bit more sympathetic. Despite what those who often don't have kids say parents' rights have been eroded and their responsibilities taken off them like with breakfast in schools. Who loves their kids the most: the parent who gives their child everything they want protects them from situations that aren't nice and doesn't impose boundaries or the parent who gives their kids the tools and resilience to navigate through life's ups and downs and tells them off when they do silly stuff? There is a happy medium but currently we're on a dangerous end of the spectrum. Values have to be taught and there must be consequences. Any suggestion that "Oh well it's just a young person and it doesn't really matter." is just stupid.New Zealand has a world-leading youth aid system. I worked for a number of years as a youth aid officer not too long ago. Back then the relationship with other Government agencies was fantastic. The family group conference process was very successful. In some areas this system is still working well producing great results. In other areas it's broken and needs to be fixed. Two years ago a woman approached me at a restaurant. After introducing herself through tears she thanked me for saving her daughter's life. Now in her 20s her daughter went through the family group conference process and the mandatory follow-up to get accountability. The then 15-year-old who had started to self-harm was made to take responsibility for her actions. This intervention was enough to turn her life around. Fourteen years later she's happy owns a house and has a responsible job in the hospitality industry. It really isn't rocket science but it requires sensible policies. Police resources must be put in the right places.Police are at the sharp end of all antisocial behaviour and they must be supported. Unfortunately despite the millions of dollars and promises they don't feel they are. We've got to challenge the constant rhetoric we hear from too many irresponsible members in this House when they allege systemic racism in the New Zealand Police. It is divisive and not true. The recent statement made in this House to the media that more police on the street means more dead Māori should have been condemned by the police Minister but not a word. It's little wonder police don't feel supported. It's because they're not. New Zealand police are the best in the world. They do a job few here would want to do see things few here will ever see and get into situations that most of the armchair experts here will never experience. The ACT Party will always support police and the rights of victims."