Pillay Lynne: Courts and Criminal Matters Bill — In Committee 
Pillay Lynne: Courts and Criminal Matters Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:673;Page:19797] 
LYNNE PILLAY (Labour) 
: 
 To be consistent I will take a call on Part 4 of the Courts and Criminal Matters Bill which is the final part in the bill. As such it amends a further 13 statutes and that is quite a considerable number. Although most of the amendments are minor and ensure consistency amongst all the statutes they are also very important amendments. Although Part 4 is not controversial and one could almost say it is quite tedious—the Minister in the chair the Attorney-General is nodding—it is still vitally important. If these amendments are not made or are incorrect then this legislation will be inconsistent with the other statutes. I cannot imagine what it would be like to do that work. I do not think I would have the patience and I know that Maurice Williamson would not. But for those who do have the patience those with an eye for detail—probably like the Minister in the chair has—then that is really really valuable work. It is work that never really receives the full recognition that it should have. Many other amendments are really interesting and make substantial changes to improve legislation. In this case the bill affects the collection of fines. Part 4 is more about making sure things work properly: technical amendments to ensure consistency. 
What are the amendments to other Acts? There is an amendment to the Children Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989. The amendment repeals the old definition of “traffic offence” and substitutes a new definition which adds references to a number of transport Acts and any offence under them will constitute a traffic offence. So that is a very important amendment. There is an amendment to the Customs and Excise Act 1996 to change the definition of “fine” for reasons of consistency. There is an amendment to the Family Courts Act 1980. There is an amendment to the Personal Property Securities Act 1999. New section 167A(2) provides that a registrar of the High Court or of a District Court may enter in the register a financing change statement in certain circumstances prescribed in the amendment. Again in order to make things work properly it is very important that the Act be amended. 
There is of course an amendment to the Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims Act 2005; we are getting more into current times. That adds an Order in Council provision in the section relating to the deduction of money for legal aid and for reparation etc. The Privacy Act 1993 is amended and we note the requirement for the registrar to consult the Privacy Commissioner in certain instances. There are amendments to the Railways Act 2005. Who would have thought that that Act would need amendment? Again that is why it is really important to acknowledge the work that gets done in these instances because that matter has been picked up on. God forbid if the Railways Act was inconsistent with this legislation! There are amendments to the Sentencing Act 2002. Goodness me that is my old favourite. That Act is amended to authorise a court to direct that an offender can be detained for up to 2 hours to complete a declaration of his or her financial capacity. That is really important because as previous speakers including myself have said when we are looking at these outstanding fines and getting them sorted it is really important to establish whether the person has the financial capacity the ability to make the payments. The Social Security Act 1964 has also been amended as has the Tax Administration Act 1994 and the Transport Act 1962. 
All of those Acts have been amended and all in all there are 12 of them. But that is quite mysterious because it states in the bill that 13 statutes have been amended. I am counting them again but I can find only 12. Perhaps the Minister in the chair the Minister of Justice will take a call and enlighten me. I will go through them. I have the Children Young Persons and Their Families Act 1989 the Customs and Excise Act 1996 the Family Courts Act 1980 the Immigration Act 1987 the Personal Property Securities Act 1999—that is fine—the Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims Act 2005 the Privacy Act 1993 the Railways Act 2005 the Sentencing Act 2002 the Social Security Act 1964 the Tax Administration Act 1994 and the Transport Act 1962. That is 12 statutes. It is just one of those things and it is annoying. 
What is that other Act? I suspect that some people in this Chamber know and I will ask them. Does the Minister know? If he knows—and I can see that little gleeful look on his face and that he is feeling kind of proud—he will be able to jump up to take a call and enlighten the Committee about that other Act. In the absence of that information I wonder whether perhaps we have been given misinformation. Although that would be very rare perhaps we have. If anyone in this Chamber can enlighten us it would be a lovely finish to this bill which does have majority support although not from the Greens. It would be very good to find out about that pesky missing statute. Imagine if I were to turn the page and it was just on the other side but it is not. 
Hon Steve Chadwick 
: The Minister has nearly got it. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: The Minister in the chair the Minister of Justice is scribbling frantically; I think he has found it. I would have a lot of respect for him if he could find it. 
Hon Member 
: His officials know. 
LYNNE PILLAY 
: The officials know. They might be able to give him the word. Poor old Simon Power has not had a good run lately. He is leaving and we will all miss him. I think it would boost his morale if he stood up and told us what that missing statute is. 
I do not want to be frivolous; I think I have said enough tonight. I am really happy that this is a bill—unlike many other bills in this House—that we in Labour are supporting. I look forward to its progress through the House. Thank you very much and I do hope the Minister in the chair can enlighten the Committee about the missing statute.