Hughes Darren: Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Bill — Third Reading 
Hughes Darren: Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Bill — Third Reading 
[Volume:617;Page:12775] 
DARREN HUGHES (Labour—Otaki) 
: 
 I rise to strongly support the third reading of the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Bill. It is very good legislation. It is very interesting to note that policy on the hoof is contagious in Parliament at the moment. We have just heard from the National Party spokesperson on justice who boldly told us in 10 minutes that the National Party is so opposed to this bill it is committed to a review once it comes to power. I am sure that right now as the Rt Hon Wyatt Creech is finishing his invoices for that other little review we saw he is preparing the way for a review of the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act. 
Mr Worth of course told us that the National Party would not have a simple scheme like this which could make a difference to ordinary people. Oh no! There would be a scheme where one had to go before a District Court judge in a most bureaucratic way to achieve the very same things this bill is trying to set out to do. We have had policy on the hoof from Mr Worth. I know why Mr Worth is really opposed to this bill. It is because it does not apply in foreign ports. Of course that is very important to Mr Worth. I have it on very good understanding that Mr Worth was a few pounds short of a camel ride in Egypt on one occasion and is wanted by the authorities in that jurisdiction. That is the reason why he thinks it is important to get a clean slate bill—so that he may continue his international travel. 
I want to pay tribute to Phil Goff for this bill. Whenever we deal with criminal justice legislation it does bring out the worst in members of Parliament as we have a battle to see who can be the toughest and the roughest. 
I am sure we will hear lots of speeches particularly from Mr Franks who has a very gloomy disposition concerning human behaviour. I am sure we will hear a great race about how bad this bill will be. It is actually taking a very courageous step to say that Parliament through the courts does impose penalties on people when they offend and break the law in New Zealand. This bill says that when it is minor offending; when there is a 7-year period of no offending when a person pays all the fines and reparation that he or she is required to do at the time the sentence is imposed and when they have not committed a specified sexual offence—[ 
Interruption 
] Specified sexual offences are in this bill in order to state that those offences if incurred are not covered by the bill. 
In the circumstances I have just listed people can put their lives back on track. If the whole point of our justice system is that penalties are to deter and change behaviour then the message that Parliament is signalling in this bill is that if people do right and stop offending we will give them a second chance. I cannot see what is wrong with that concept. I cannot see what is wrong with saying to people: “We will give you another go.” The Opposition is saying that there is a whole army of people out there who commit offences such as shoplifting under-age drinking possession of cannabis and those sorts of offences and then for 7 years do absolutely nothing and live law-abiding lives because they are hoping to trick somebody into giving them a job 7 years after those minor offences so that they can then commit some of the most heinous crimes ever seen in our land. It is an absolutely ridiculous argument that we hear from Opposition members. They are absolutely crazy on that point because they assume we are clean slating murder rape and all sorts of terrible offences. We are not doing that. We are saying that people need this chance. 
I sat on the Justice and Electoral Committee. We heard the arguments. We know that the reoffending rate after 7 years of no offending is ridiculously low. We think this will be the right signal to send to people if members of Parliament are serious about less crime. It always strikes me that the members of Parliament who say they hate crime the most are the ones who want to put in policies to make sure we have more crime. This bill is a signal to people to not lead a life of offending. 
I am very pleased to support the bill. I do pay tribute to Mr Tanczos from the Greens who of course introduced the original member’s bill. I believe he has brought some very clear and heavy thinking to this legislation and has tried to point to solutions as opposed to rhetoric. I also pay tribute to Mr Goff for bringing the bill through. Finally there were three young officials—which is slightly patronising seeing that I am 26 years old—from the Ministry of Justice Melanie Gudsell Brian Hesketh and Susan Roberts who did a great job advising the select committee. It is fantastic to see young public servants with a good understanding of issues. This is good legislation and I look forward to the rhetoric from Opposition parties opposing it.