Perry Edwin: Courts and Criminal Matters Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Perry Edwin: Courts and Criminal Matters Bill — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:626;Page:21702] 
EDWIN PERRY (NZ First) 
: 
 New Zealand First supports this bill but there is a “but”. I have listened to the debate this afternoon and I want to cover a number of issues. In looking at Part 3 I go along with what Mr Ryall from National said and I start asking myself why we really need to include these clauses or this part in the bill. 
I want to cover one or two provisions in the part which I think will be important if carried out correctly. Under clause 9(1) section 84C(1) of the principal Act is amended by “omitting the words ‘a Judge or if a Judge is not available a Registrar’ and substituting the words ‘a Judge or Registrar’.” Clause 9(2) states: “Section 84C(2) of the principal Act is amended by repealing paragraph (d) and substituting the following paragraph: ‘(d) if the judgment debtor cannot practicably be brought immediately before a Judge or a Registrar any member of the police or any bailiff may take the bail bond of the judgment debtor and Parts 1 to 3 of the Bail Act 2000 apply with any necessary modifications as if the bail bond were taken by a member of the police under section 21(1) of that Act.’” 
I want now to cover what the Hon Richard Prebble said that $650 million of fines are outstanding but that we are to look for only 117 people and the amount we will get back will be only $1.5 million. I go along with Mr Ryall in asking why we need that provision in the legislation. I have some figures that were obtained by the Minister for Courts which show that the total amount wiped in 1999 had grown by 54 percent when $25.6 million in fines was wiped. I have another quotation: “The figures also showed 830 people had fines over $10000 wiped last year compared with 23 in 2003 although the majority were for sums less than $1000.” Why do we want this provision in the legislation if we are to use it like a wet bus ticket to slap people on the back of the hand? There is also information as Mr Ryall said stating that most of the fines were written off because people went to jail or were given community work. A Rotorua man had $43000 of fines wiped in return for 300 hours of community service. Well I tell the Minister I have seen people in court being handed down sentences of community hours but not doing them and they have been back in court 2 or 3 months later. So coming back to Part 3 I say that a lot more work needs to be done in that area. 
To cover the last issue I ask why we have clause 13 “Judgment debtor undergoing periodic detention to be discharged on payment”. The clause states: “The heading to section 84Q of the principal Act is amended by omitting the words ‘undergoing periodic detention’ and substituting the words ‘doing community work’.” I tell members that I know a lot of young people who have been given those sentences and they are not even doing the work. I say to the Committee and to the people of New Zealand that when New Zealand First’s law and order policies are put in place youth will be put in the army for a bit of discipline. The Minister should look carefully at Part 3.