King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:652;Page:1700] 
6.  
Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Corrections 
: Has she received any reports from the Department of Corrections on the costs associated with the passage of the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Corrections) 
: 
 Yes. 
Hon Annette King 
: Has she seen estimated costs of $7.5 billion for an additional 14000 offenders who will require another 24 prisons and do these massive costs mean the National Government will not support the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill through all its stages? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: No. 
Hon Annette King 
: When does she or her colleagues intend to inform New Zealanders that rather than only supporting this bill being referred to a select committee the National Government has reached a deal with ACT to pass it through all its stages in exchange for ACT’s support for the Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Bill or is this a dirty little deal that they wanted to keep in the closet? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: No. 
Sandra Goudie 
: What other reports on costs has she received from the department? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: Today I was advised by the department that the previous Minister of Corrections the Hon Phil Goff asked the department to analyse National’s law and order policies. I can only assume that that was because his Government did not have any of them. 
Hon Annette King 
: Is she aware that last night on the  
Back Benchers 
 programme on Television New Zealand’s channel 7 Rodney Hide announced for New Zealand to know that you are voting for the bill— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I do not think I am voting for anything. 
Hon Annette King 
: —that the Minister and her Government are voting for the bill because they have struck a deal over the gang insignia bill? That is why they are voting with ACT on this bill but they are hiding it. 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: I was not watching the  
Back Benchers 
 programme on TV last night; I was working. 
David Garrett 
: Does the Minister agree with Ministry of Justice estimates that show that “three strikes” legislation will lead to an increase of just 70 beds over 20 years costing $21 million at $300000 per bed and does she agree that had such legislation been in place when 78 people were killed their lives would have been saved? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: That is certainly the information I have been provided with. 
Hon Annette King 
: I seek leave to table the transcript of the  
Back Benchers 
 programme last night where Rodney Hide announced that the ACT Party voted for the gang insignia bill because it had struck a deal with the National Government on the “three strikes” bill. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that transcript. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: I seek leave to table a letter from the Department of Corrections to the then Minister of Corrections dated 8 October 2008 and headed “Impacts of proposed parole changes” which details the National Party policy. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is there any objection to that document being tabled? There is none. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: I seek leave to table another letter from the Department of Corrections to the then Minister of Corrections dated 16 October 2008 detailing further impacts of the proposed parole changes. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Is there any objection to that letter being tabled? There is none. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I inform the House that the Labour Party is prepared to make one of its supplementary questions available to Mr Hide if he would care to ask a question. 
Hon Rodney Hide 
: First of all may I beg the indulgence of the House to thank Michael Cullen for that— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member must ask his question. 
Hon Rodney Hide 
: Can the Minister confirm that if “three strikes and you’re out” had been in place 78 New Zealanders would be alive now rather than their having been killed which is what happened under the previous Government’s law and order legislation? 
Hon JUDITH COLLINS 
: Certainly if those offenders had been incarcerated then clearly those 78 New Zealanders would now be alive.