Gallagher Martin: Crimes (Drug Rape) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
Gallagher Martin: Crimes (Drug Rape) Amendment Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:617;Page:12672] 
MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) 
: 
 There are a range of issues before this Parliament and obviously before the dinner break we had an issue that if one likes is an example of the litmus test of politics of the so-called centre-left centre-right divide in terms of the Holidays Act. This is an issue that clearly is entirely different in terms of parliamentarians where there is a much greater sense of commonality and consensus. 
Today the Law and Order Committee was in the process of hearing evidence on the Crimes Amendment Bill (No 2). Before I briefly talk about the public hearings we held today I will take the opportunity to warmly congratulate my good colleague from Hamilton East Dianne Yates on her work and initiative. An earlier speaker said that her bill will very much sit alongside the current legislation before our committee. I believe that the work she has done has been something of a catalyst. This is a very good example of how effective a member of Parliament can be one has obviously done the work and has talked to a range of people—victims and people who have expertise in this area—and has come up with a very good bill which now of course has been superseded by a Government bill. Dianne Yates’ member’s bill will go alongside the Government bill and come to the Law and Order Committee. 
Today we heard an excellent and very insightful submission from the New Zealand Drug Rape Trust. What it did in public session was give a briefing around the issues of drug rape. It then as an interested organisation made a specific submission to the select committee. I have to admit to members and to this Parliament that as chairman of the Law and Order Committee I was very mindful of the fact that we as representatives are but lay people fundamentally and we are required to get our minds around a huge range of issues. 
But when one comes face to face with a submission such as this from the Drug Rape Trust as happened today one fully appreciates absolutely the significance and the extent of this problem and for some of our young people the potentially fatal consequences. One cannot fail to be moved in the public session when one hears of a situation that I understand happened in Australia recently where someone’s bright lovely young daughter went out for a night on the town and the next day in the words used “returned to her home in a pine box”. In her case the drug was fatal. One suddenly realises the dangers that are out there particularly for our young people and one has a sense of anger that adults should put people into this position. Dare I say it that in respect of bars and certain pubs and clubs around this country even one has a sense of anger as a parent brother sister or whoever that perhaps some of the owners of those establishments might turn a bit of a blind eye. 
Again this issue is about community vigilance. I want to reflect a little bit on the work being done in Hamilton and I think Dianne Yates certainly talked about the good work that the police are doing. I particularly want to pay tribute to our bar managers and bar owners in Hamilton and also to the local police. 
One of the other issues that the Drug Rape Trust emphasised in its public submission is that this is not just about a young person going out on the town and being incredibly vulnerable; this is a crime that affects a cross-section of people and a cross-section of ages. That again adds to the horror and fear we have about this social problem. The Law and Order Committee looks forward to considering this bill and doing its very best and compliments Dianne Yates on her good work.