Lole-Taylor Asenati: Parole (Extended Supervision Orders) Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLole-Taylor Asenati: Parole (Extended Supervision Orders) Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 03 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19222. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Le’aufa’amulia ASENATI LOLE-TAYLOR (NZ First):Talofa lava Mr Assistant Speaker.The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson): O a mai oe?Le’aufa’amulia ASENATI LOLE-TAYLOR: Manuia fa’afetai.The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson): Fa’afetai lava.Le’aufa’amulia ASENATI LOLE-TAYLOR: Kia ora and warm greetings. I would also like to acknowledge the Minister of Corrections and the efforts that she made to talk to us about the Parole (Extended Supervision Orders) Amendment Bill. This morning I received a message from one of our community members. I am saying “our” because you and I come from the same electorate Mr Assistant Speaker.Jami-Lee Ross: But he won the seat.Le’aufa’amulia ASENATI LOLE-TAYLOR: I hear somebody trying to be smart on this side and I am sure he cannot remember or understand a single word he is saying. The message goes: “The problem here in this country is that the law has given younger people more authority which leaves parents hopeless and they can do so little to discipline their kids. Now they can commit more crimes knowing they can get away with it. What will the Government do—allow more laws for rehabilitating the criminals and nothing for the victims?”. Then there are 12 question marks and then the word “sucks” at the end. These words represent frustration and anger and it is not the fault of the person who sent it but the fault of this House. This House is responsible for the words of frustration and anger.It was 2009 when the Parole (Extended Supervision Orders) Amendment Act was passed through a rather rushed process from its introduction to its third reading. It is interesting because New Zealand First was not here at the time. There was no formal debate during its second and third readings because leave was given for the bill to be introduced and read on the same day. New Zealand First was not part of the process during that time and what a shame. What a shame. If that bill had been debated in a considered manner then members of Parliament during that time may have considered whether the bill was not just about fixing a technical error. We are here today debating the matter because of those who sat in this Chamber in 2009 and did not carefully scrutinise the bill. We are here today to fix up legislation that failed to protect victims of sexual assault and the most vulnerable in our society our children.The band-aid approach of a 10-year limit was not enough. It was not enough. The first extended supervision orders handed down in 2005 are due to expire early next year meaning that the Department of Corrections will lose its ability to manage those child sex offenders in the community. I am glad the Minister of Corrections has decided to address the issue of protection for our communities. I am also glad the Minister has accepted the need to address the issue of protection for the public against these high-risk sex offenders.We need to ask why it has taken recent cases of serious reoffending to finally decide that it is time to do something about it. We all remember Stewart Wilson—and it is a public case out there—who was released in September 2012 back in jail in April 2013 had 20 years for sexual and violent offending and whose sentence expires on 1 December next year. We are talking about the $27000 it cost for this area to be fixed per person per year and the time has come for it to be addressed. The ostrich mentality of locking them up and throwing away the key does not work for such offenders as we all know. The Department of Corrections needs to redirect its attention to serious rehabilitation programmes. It must put protection plans in place so that victims can be confident that they are protected. We are talking about victims. They need to be assured that they are safe to live free of fear and that offenders under supervision orders will not reoffend after serving their 10-year parole period.This legislation will expand extended supervision orders for child sex offenders beyond their current 10-year time frame. This is for those who pose a high risk of serious offending. It will also expand their use to include high-risk sex offenders against adults and very high-risk violent offenders. Managing those high-risk sex offenders and very high-risk violent offenders is imperative for the safety of our communities. There is no room for error. This bill must ensure that given the threat of serious harm posed by offenders the rights of New Zealanders to be free from sexual harm and violence is upheld. The bill provides for the courts to order the imposition of special conditions allowing intensive monitoring of offenders for the first 12 months of the extended supervision orders.The intentions of this bill are in line with a similar bill introduced by New Zealand First to amend the Sentencing Act. In fact the two bills work hand in hand. Both bills are focused on protecting victims. Where the Parole (Extended Supervision Orders) Amendment bill maintains the safety of victims after offenders have been released New Zealand First’s Sentencing (Protection of Children from Criminal Offending) Amendment Bill acts as an additional deterrent for potential reoffenders post-release. Our bill makes potential reoffenders think twice about re-entering a life of crime after they have served their time. Children and minors are involved in a significant proportion of total crimes and our bill is about keeping them safe. Would-be offenders cannot escape the fact that criminal activity and criminal behaviour almost always have an impact on children at some point whether it is in the home or on the street.Both bills are especially relevant for combating paedophilia child abuse and other such crimes where victims require ongoing protection. Both bills acknowledge that victims suffer long-term mental physical and psychological effects from the crimes committed against them which means that the law should support victims as much as possible. Both bills are not just about preventing criminals from reoffending; they are also about protecting the rights of victims and potential victims to live fair and free lives. It is also about protecting our communities. It is crucial that communities are at the core of our role when introducing legislation that is meant to address criminal activities. This Parole (Extended Supervision Orders) Amendment Bill and our bill go hand in hand. Supporting our bill would double the effectiveness of this bill.This is an opportunity for the Government to do some serious consideration of the New Zealand First bill. It is important that the correct measures are put in place not only to protect the victims but to allow reintegration into communities at a safe and monitored level. Parliament must have the ability to change in order to validate the measure of intelligence and intelligence is what we need right now for the sake of our community and our country. New Zealand First supports this bill at its first reading. Thank you.