Lole-Taylor Asenati: Sentencing (Protection of Children from Criminal Offending) Amendment Bill — First ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLole-Taylor Asenati: Sentencing (Protection of Children from Criminal Offending) Amendment Bill — First Reading[Sitting date: 25 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13760. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Le’aufa’amuliaASENATI LOLE-TAYLOR (NZ First):Talofa lava.Malo lava lesoifua. I want to acknowledge the contributions by various honourable members tonight. I am reminded of H Jackson BrownJnr’s words: “Live so that when your children think of fairness caring and integrity they think of you.”—they think of you. During the development of this bill theSentencing (Protection of Children from Criminal Offending) Amendment Bill the memories of my dear eldest nephew reminded me of the difficulties he faced in his first 17 years. If you are listening nowIoane I just want you to know that I do love you. Your experience encouraged me to ensure that this bill came to the House.I am encouraged by the contributions and support shown by various members in the House tonight. I also want to acknowledge the comments by David Clendon here with regard to prisons and the fact that this week is celebrating PILLARS’ contribution to fathers in prison and their children. Ian McKelvie also mentioned the visits he has madeto some of the prisons. I can assure you that I have spent 6 years in the prison environment. I can assure you that I have spent 6 years in the Department of Corrections looking after or catering for the top part of the northern region in this area. Rehabilitation and reintegration is something that is very dear to me. During that time I came across a lot of different generations from the same families. They happen to be the families who come from the same kinds of problems. If it is not domestic violence it is abuse rape or of course drug dealing.This bill takes a clear stand that it is not OK for children to witness and be innocent bystanders to crime. We need to send a clear message that we will no longer sit back and ignore children who are innocently caught up in high-level criminal offending and ongoing crime that leaves them in the path of harm. Children are too often the innocent parties in criminal offending by adults.I acknowledge the comments that were raised by Jacinda Ardern tonight about the judges that often they do not take it into account or often they do take it into account and they should. I suppose the response I can give to that is that judges often forget that the children were involved by the time the sentencing happens. By then they often just give a lenient sentence based on the actual criminal forgetting that there were children involved and in addition to that forgetting the mental and the psychological effect that has on our children in those situations. I do hope that the Law and Order Committee though will give that some serious consideration in order to incorporate those comments that were raised by Jacinda Ardern. I sincerely hope that AndrewLittle’s concerns will also be addressed and any of the loopholes that he considered to be missing from this bill.Where offending endangers minors or exposes them to potentially adverse effects the sentence imposed should reflect that. Criminals should have no right to endanger innocent children. The people of New Zealand expect us to fix this problem. Our children are the future of this nation and if the individuals around them are not taking responsibility to protect them from harm and a cycle of abuse and plus are initiating them into a life of crime then surely it is time they are held accountable for their actions. Punishment is not for revenge but to lessen crime and reform the criminal. Decisions in this House should be made based on what is in the best interests of our nation and our people not on individuals’ needs or personal agenda. I duly commend this bill to the House. Thank you.Bill read a first time.Billreferred to the Law and Order Committee.