Wilkinson Kate: Victims’ Orders Against Violent Offenders Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWilkinson Kate: Victims’ Orders Against Violent Offenders Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 27 August 2013. Volume:693;Page:13082. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon KATE WILKINSON (National—Waimakariri): It is a pleasure to stand and take a call on the first reading of the Victims’ Orders Against Violent Offenders Bill. It is also a pleasure to follow what I think have been two pretty considered contributions—one from the New Zealand First member Denis O’Rourke and one from the Green member David Clendon—from opposite ends of the spectrum. The Green contribution I was somewhat disappointed with because when we hear comments to the effect that this bill contains a potent set of conditions to impose on a person he isfocused totally on the offender. And when he thinks that the status quo is OK and talks about double jeopardy and the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act in terms of the offender I think that actually his attention is in the wrong area. We are focused on the victims. It is the victims who are the innocent ones in this situation and we are focused on them. I also think that the New Zealand First contribution was pretty thoughtful and I guess my comment on that is that the whole purpose of having the bill go to the select committee is so that those issues can be teased out discussed and decided upon at the select committee consideration.In a nutshell the bill provides for a non-contact order that prohibits an offender from any form of contact with a victim and can impose conditions. Whether those conditions are tight enough or not tight enough again is a matter for the select committee. We have heard contributions from Labour members who talked about whether the threshold of 5 years’ imprisonment for the offender is actually the right threshold. Maybe it is too high. I do not know the answer to that but again I am sure that that will be an issue that will be fully traversed at the select committee. But I have to say that if we really want to sum it up it is totally unacceptable to have a situation where a victim of a serious crime may have unwanted contact with their attacker. That is the bottom line because the priority has to be the victim not the offender.This bill is a good bill. It is not the only bill of course. It is part of a programme it is part of a suite of measures. Actually I think that as a party on law and order our record on crime and on victims is pretty good.Dr Cam Calder: Outstanding.Hon KATE WILKINSON: Oh “Outstanding.” says Dr Calder—outstanding. If we traverse that just momentarily we introduced a $50 victims’ offender levy. Remember that at the time the Labour members said that it was a gimmick—a gimmick—and that it would not work. A total gimmick—“a bizarre piece of gimmickry” is what they said. Well actually the amount collected from that is $4.4 million.Scott Simpson: How much?Hon KATE WILKINSON: It is $4.4 million. That has been collected from the $50 offender levy. If we look at some of the programmes that have benefited from that we have got thesafe@home programme for the women and families who are at the highest risk of serious injury or death. We have got a discretionary grant to assist families of homicide victims. We have got funding for homicide support coordinators. Our record on this is outstanding but that is not all. We have created 13 new services and entitlements for victims. We have also increased restorative justice. We have expanded the restorative justice services. They receive an extra $4.4 million. That actually means a total of an extra 2400 conferences. In addition to that we now have police safety orders to help prevent domestic violence. I understand that since their introduction there have been over 27000 of these orders.National is the party for law and order. National is the party that is focused on victims. This bill is a good bill. It is part of that suite of measures and I certainly look forward to receiving the select committee report once it has come out after proper consultation and discussion. I commend this bill to the House.