Simpson Scott: General DebateText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSimpson Scott: General Debate[Sitting date: 25 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13714. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]SCOTT SIMPSON (National—Coromandel): It is always interesting to follow a Green member in a debate such as the general debate—one where we have doom and green gloom ad nauseam.Chris Auchinvole: What?SCOTT SIMPSON: Doom and green gloom. The Green vision for New Zealand is like the Amish without the Bibles. It is back to the horses and the carts. It is back to doom and gloom and frankly we on this side of the House have a far more optimistic a far more positive a far more aspirational view of the world. Ours is a Government—led so ably by the Rt Hon John Key—that has a vision and a view of New Zealand that is going to create the brighter future that we have already set in place for all folk in our country. Our plan is about responsibly managing the Government’s finances so that taxes are spent wisely and services are provided well.Over the last 48 hours my electorate of Coromandel has been buffeted by high winds by heavy seas and by heavy rain. That is no doubt all due to the climate change Dr Graham?Dr Kennedy Graham: Yes.SCOTT SIMPSON: The member says it is no doubt due to all the climate change. It is probably more to do with the annual spring equinox actually. It has been going on since time immemorial. It has probably got to do with nothing more than just the spring equinox. Trees are down roads have been closed by slips and there have been high tides all around the electorate. Roads have been closed and electricity I am told is still off in some parts of the electorate. So my good wishes and concerns go to the hard-working stoic diligent people of the Coromandel who are putting things to right getting on with the job and cleaning up after the storm. I want to particularly mention and thank our emergency services on the peninsula most of which are volunteer emergency services. They have done a great job.Better public services are what this Government is about. Yesterday during question time I had the opportunity to ask our very capable Minister of Justice the Hon Judith Collins about the conviction and sentencing statistics for the 2012-13 financial year. I am delighted to say that she was able to confirm to the House that the figures just released show that the number of adults charged in our courts has decreased a further 7 percent in the last 12 months—Chris Auchinvole: 7 percent.SCOTT SIMPSON: It is a further 7 percent. Since the 2008-09 financial year the total number of people charged with criminal offences has been reduced by a massive 23 percent. That is 23 percent. The number of people charged with criminal offences in our justice system has reduced by this massive 23 percent.Clearly the justice sector is working well and in my capacity as chair of the Justice and Electoral Committee I am very pleased to be able to work with National’s justice team. That involves the Minister of Justice Judith Collins the Minister for Courts the very capable Chester Borrows the Minister of Police and the Minister of Corrections Anne Tolley and of course the Attorney-General Chris Finlayson. Together they are doing a great job. Altogether it means that there are fewer people in our criminal justice system because this is a Government that is committed to making New Zealand a safer place for all so that we have fewer victims in our community. It is absolutely important that we do have that.These statistics show that our initiatives across the sector are having very positive results. The crime rate is down to its lowest in more than 30 years—the lowest crime rate in more than 30 years. And it gets better because under National youth crime in particular has fallen 19 percent in just 2 years—19 percent down in 2 years. This means that we have already exceeded the Better Public Services target to reduce youth offending by 5 percent by 2017. So what have we done? We have upped the challenge. We have upped the challenge and we have increased the target so that it is now set at a 25 percent reduction by 2017. The number of young people appearing in court is dropping as well. Child and youth prosecution statistics show that the number of children and young people being charged in court is at its lowest in 20 years.So collectively this National Government is bringing better public services to New Zealand and in the justice sector we are really excelling. That means there are fewer victims and fewer New Zealanders who are feeling unsafe in their homes and in their workplaces. Together this is a good Government doing an exceptionally good job which is making the justice sector a hallmark of success in terms of our better public services. This is a good Government doing a great job and I am privileged and delighted to be working with such capable colleagues on this side of the House.The debate having concluded the motion lapsed.