Mahuta Nanaia: Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims (Expiry and Application Dates) Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Mahuta Nanaia: Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims (Expiry and Application Dates) Amendment Bill — Second Reading In Committee Third Reading 
[Sitting date: 22 June 2010. Volume:664;Page:12086. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour—Hauraki-Waikato) 
: 
 I rise to speak to the Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims (Expiry and Application Dates) Amendment Bill and to say why Labour will be voting for it. As has been expressed previously the bill comprises a technical amendment to extend restrictions on the awarding of compensation brought in by the Prisoners’ and Victims’ Claims Act 2005 for 2 years from 1 July this year until 30 June 2012. The Government has indicated that this is an interim measure. It is interesting that the Government member Chester Borrows said that he is disappointed that that is the case. We understand that a more comprehensive bill may be introduced later this year. 
Contributions on this side of the House have raised a flag and asked the Government to think about the victims of sexual abuse and to reinstate funding to the Accident Compensation Corporation to support those victims through counselling and support services. Members of the Labour team have given numerous local examples expressing just how important those services are to women and men throughout the country. It is not good enough for members on that side of the House to purport to listen to the rights and interests of victims when those who have suffered sexual abuse and are vulnerable are suffering both physical and mental abuse and continue to do so. They are not able to receive accident compensation funding to break through some very dark places. A number of us have been told at a personal level some stories that we would not repeat in this House. Suffice it to say they are the types of stories that would urge this House to think again and certainly urge members of the Government to get their Ministers to act now address this issue of funding and ensure that women can get the types of support and counselling services that they need—women and men. Men are victims too I say to the Minister of Justice and they need help. 
I have also listened to other views expressed in the House. I agree that the Government must not create further victims as a result of its policy flaws and the flaws in some of its thinking—policies like double-bunking which increases the risk to both prisoners and security guards. I say to members to go and visit a prison and look at just how small those rooms are with single beds let alone double beds. None of the prisons were designed to be double-bunked; they are such small closed and confined spaces. Policies like container cells are creating conditions that I believe are inhumane no matter how we dress it up. If one puts lipstick on a pig it is still a pig. These are inhumane conditions and I do not think it is the way to go. 
The Government has policies like profit-driven incentives through private management of prisons where the bottom line is more important than rehabilitation initiatives and programmes aimed at reducing long-term recidivism—yes it takes investment. The Government needs to rethink its “three strikes and you’re out” policy which is just a dumb policy. Those policies are all a range of measures that the Government has introduced creating victims in some sense but also not creating a very good approach to a way forward that supports restorative justice supports rehabilitation reduces recidivism and promotes greater investment in the system. 
I raise these issues to draw attention to the numerous matters resulting from the Government’s broader policy ambitions. At the end of the year the House will be waiting to see how the Government intends to stitch together a comprehensive approach to addressing victims’ rights—we cannot wait. However this country can ill afford to take a “lock ’em up and throw away the key” approach. Restorative models of justice are necessary; long-term rehabilitation to reduce recidivism is absolutely critical. Investing at the front end of youth development initiatives will go some way to making a long-term difference to the lives of many New Zealanders and will make for a better New Zealand. But will the Government listen? That is the question. 
This bill contains one minor technical amendment; the bigger debate is yet to come. We can already see the writing on the wall in terms of the policy ambitions and the devastation that will result from them. The country deserves more from this Government and it should do more.