2. Prisons—Crime Reduction and Prison PopulationHon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime MinisterPrisons—Crime Reduction and Prison Population2. Hon SIMON BRIDGES (Leader of the Opposition) to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's policies and actions?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN (Prime Minister): Yes.Hon Simon Bridges: Does she agree with her Minister of Justice that There is immediate pressure now" in relation to the prison population and why is her Government stalling on the Waikeria build given that immediate pressure?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: Yes I do agree with the Minister of Justice and we're working through decisions around the work that's required for Waikeria Prison which is in a pretty shocking state thanks to the last Government leaving it to the last minute.Hon Simon Bridges: How then can her Government commit to 1800 new police when the Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections Ray Smith said today that it's "pretty obvious" that the policy will definitely lead to a higher prison population?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I would argue that it very much depends on the way that your police force is deployed. What we know is that under the last Government there was a serious reduction in the amount of community policing. In my own area—and that's just one example—community hubs were closed down and community policing suffered. We've agreed with our coalition partners that we need to reinstate that community-based policing and that's what we plan to do.Hon Simon Bridges: When her Minister of Justice said in relation to lowering the prison population "We've got a number of things we're going to have to do to get that under way" what exactly are those things?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I'm happy to give some examples. We've talked about for instance the use of Rangatahi Courts and drug and alcohol courts some of which were trialled—great outcomes but never expanded by the last Government. One really concrete thing is that we know that there are people who are ready to be released that haven't been—for one reason and that is because the housing crisis means there's nowhere for them to be paroled to. There are concrete examples of where that has happened. Our prisons are the most expensive form of housing in this country and it makes absolutely no sense. That's why we're having to clean up their mess.Hon Simon Bridges: Well does she agree with the Minister of Justice when he said that looking at laws such as the Bail Act the Sentencing Act and the Parole Act would be part of lowering the prison population?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: I'm pleased the member's raised the Bail Act because he left a number of misconceptions yesterday in this House. As I pointed out when the Bail Act was passed by the last Government they made an assumption that that would increase the number of remand beds by 250. Remand beds have increased while we have a static crime rate by 4000. The biggest increases are in areas that the Bail Amendment Act didn't even touch. So it's had a general effect that they never anticipated so it's our job to look at it and the stats tell the story.Hon Simon Bridges: Well does she think that just reducing the number of prisoners magically means there is then an automatic reduction in crime and if not what are her Government's actual plans to reduce crime? Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The member has assumed that we don't have the ability to keep the public safe whilst also ensuring that we explore all of the options available to prevent crime. That includes making sure that we address unemployment material deprivation isolation in our communities mental health issues drug and alcohol addiction—all of them things I have to add that were severely neglected by that last Government. Hon Simon Bridges: Well does she not agree then with what was said at the select committee by her officials: that a big part of the reason for this increased prison population is taking family violence seriously?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: The implication this Government doesn't take family violence seriously is offensive. Of course we do. But as the stats prove the 4000 increase in remand actually has had nothing to do with some of the areas that that Government thought they were targeting which shows it's our job to go back and have a look at it. But we are at the same time focused on preventing crime and preventing harm and that's what we're all about. Hon Simon Bridges: In light of both the Secretary for Justice and Chief Executive of the Department of Corrections saying this morning there is no Government target to reduce crime does she have any plans other than to reduce the prison population which does nothing to stop crime and victims happening in the first place?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: This Government has firm plans to bring down unemployment levels to bring down poverty levels and to reduce the prison rate. I point out that that last Government had a target to reduce reoffending and failed miserably and has left us with a situation where we have one of the highest rates of imprisonment in the Western World and quite frankly it's shameful. Hon Simon Bridges: Isn't the reality that this Government is looking to lower the prison population without reducing serious crime and victimisation and is soft on crime?Rt Hon JACINDA ARDERN: No."