Simpson Scott: Victims’ Orders Against Violent Offenders Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSimpson Scott: Victims’ Orders Against Violent Offenders Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 27 August 2013. Volume:693;Page:13074. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]SCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel): It is a pleasure to rise and take a brief call on the first reading of the Victims’ Orders Against Violent Offenders Bill which is in the name of the Hon Judith Collins. It is always interesting to follow that member Andrew Little who is a good old-fashioned socialist from way back. In fact I am disappointed that he is not contender No. 4 because with a speech like that you could rightly believe that he was a contender in every respect other than being a nominee in the contest that is so captivating members of the Labour Party at the moment. As is in the best tradition of good old-fashioned socialists there is something that is buried deep in the psyche that somehow wants to create victims who are victims again.I am delighted to be able to speak in support of this bill which proudly and I think rightly so puts the victim first in our criminal justice system. This is another piece of legislation that the Hon Judith Collins has championed in a way that has become almost a hallmark of her administration and it is one that I support. She as I do makes no apology for putting victims first in our criminal justice system. It is completely unacceptable that victims of serious crime cannot be free from ongoing intimidation and persecution from those who have done the offending against them. The fact people cannot be allowed to get on freely with their lives to return their lives to some sense ofnormality after being victims of serious crime strikes me as being completely unacceptable in a modern society. So I make no apology on behalf of the Government for putting the rights of victims first in our system.This new piece of legislation is introducing a restraining order to protect victims of serious crime or indeed sexual crimes from further unwanted contact with those people who have perpetrated attacks upon them. It is completely unacceptable that a situation like this could have been allowed to occur for so long. Victims can feel intimidated. In fact it can be more than just a feeling of intimidation; it can be actual real intimidation by having for instance a previous offender moving close into the victim’s neighbourhood maintaining contact with them and being able to further persecute them even after the sentence that they have been convicted of has been served. This piece of legislation seeks to remedy that and I say that it is about time too.Currently protection and restraining orders are available only where there has been active harassment in a situation where there is a domestic relationship between the offender and the victim. Unfortunately that means that for some victims there is currently no legal protection available to them and I say that that is simply not good enough. These new orders which will be issued by the District Court will impose a range of conditions upon offenders including restrictions on visiting particular locations or geographical areas where the victim may be. This is a new mechanism. It is established to recognise the ongoing effects of violent offences on those victims. Fair and anxiety about unwanted contact is a very very real factor for many of those victims. It can impair their recovery and their pathway back to a free and normal life after having become the victim of serious crime.As a Government we want to ensure that all victims can be protected from unwanted contact with the person who has offended against them and can get back to enjoying normal life. This bill establishes a mechanism to do exactly that. It introduces a non-contact order that will prohibit an offender from having any form of contact with a victim and it may also prohibit the offender from entering any specified area or from living or working in that specified area. The District Court is able to impose any conditions or directions in relation to any prohibition that it considers reasonably necessary in those circumstances. I for one think that is a good thing. An application for a non-contact order it is important to note cannot be made by a victim if there is already in existence a protection order against the offender under the Domestic Violence Act 1995.In summary this is a good piece of legislation brought to the House by a very capable and proactive Minister who is doing a terrific job on behalf of the victims of violent crime in our society. I commend the bill absolutely to the House. I will watch with interest its progress through the select committee.