Smith Nick: Land Transport (Unauthorised Street and Drag Racing) Amendment Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
Smith Nick: Land Transport (Unauthorised Street and Drag Racing) Amendment Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
[Volume:607;Page:4591] 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (NZ National—Nelson) 
: 
 As the member of Parliament for Nelson I want to put on the record my support for the schedule. I invite the member who has just spoken to reflect on the practical situation in three areas of my own electorate in Branford Park—[ 
Interruption 
] Get a life mate! I just ask the members opposite to be a little more mature and allow a member to participate in the debate without being interjected on with smart alec comments. 
I invite the member who has just spoken to come to Branford Park and say that the police are able to confiscate a vehicle only when there is endangerment of life. I have a group of 300 people who live in that particular valley who time after time including this last weekend have put up with boy racers destroying their quality of life. I ask the member who spoke before me whether we have to wait until lives are in danger for those people to have peace of mind. If the people in the Matai Valley in Nelson wound up the noise of a stereo causing noise harm then the law of the land says that the police can remove the cause of that noise. 
Stephen Franks 
: This doesn’t touch it. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I tell the member that the noise is coming from the tyres squealing. I happen to know the practical effect of this. Mr Franks is incorrect. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I bring the member back to the schedule. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: The schedule deals with the issue of the notice that is to be given to those motorists. 
Hon Member 
: Read the bill. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I have read it. I invite ACT members to come to Branford Park with the police who are dealing with the real practical situation. [ 
Interruption 
] I listened to the member with some dignity; why does he not just sit up and listen for a bit to a local member of Parliament who actually listens to his constituents and knows what goes on? 
Right now the police have tried their very best to deal with these problems. I have confidence that our police with the powers in this bill will be able to hit boy racers where it hurts—by serving this notice on them and taking their cars from them—because residents deserve to live in peace. I do not want them to have to wait the 4 6 or 8 weeks for the matter to go to a court hearing. Whether people live in Branford Park Victoria Heights or Waimea Road this Parliament has to err on the side of the law being in their favour. That is why I say that the provisions in the schedule are quite sensible. 
The second thing I want to say is that the Law and Order Committee did a good job. It made these measures align with the Summary Proceedings Act; that is provided for in the schedule. To me it is perfectly sensible to have the same set of provisions apply to boy racers as apply to drink-drivers and as apply to those who have their licences confiscated and repeatedly drive. It is perfectly sensible to put the boy racers on exactly the same basis. We should hit them where it hurts and take their cars off them. The notice that is provided for in the schedule is pretty sensible. I think they will get the message and that it will make the difference. I think it will need to be combined with some other local initiatives in each of our communities. It is not a magic bullet. It is not all of the answer but it is a large part of it. 
I challenge the ACT party. I appreciate its academic legal argument but those members should be practical. In the practical real-life situation out there in real world New Zealand these are the sorts of provisions we need for the police to be able to get on and do their job. 
The last thing I have to say is that I have great confidence in our boys in blue. [ 
Interruption 
] I have great confidence in him too; he is going to be a great Prime Minister. Unlike that party over there and unlike that member over there this party consistently backs the police. Those members are fair-weather friends. We back the police consistently because we have confidence in them. I know that they will use these provisions sensibly so that the communities in my electorate that have been terrorised by irresponsible boy racers will see them dealt to. 
Darren Hughes 
: Enjoy your retirement. 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Long after that member has begun his! It is pity that members opposite do not want to address the schedule and the issue we are debating. They want to play political games. The reason I will be here long after that member has gone is that I focus on the job and on looking after my constituents not on playing silly political games.