Dean Jacqui: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Dean Jacqui: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 23 May 2012. Volume:680;Page:2321. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
JACQUI DEAN (National—Waitaki) 
: 
 The good news for the previous speaker Eugenie Sage is that under a National Government we can have both. We can have sustainable development as well as look after our environment. But that is not what I want to talk about today because I have a far more important message for the House and that is that this National Government is proud—proud—of its record on tackling crime. We have a Minister who backs the police. We have a Minister who backs corrections. This National Government is proud that we put victims as the focus of the rights of the justice system.  
What were we left with by the previous Labour Government? I will tell you what we were left with. We were left with a criminal justice system in utter disarray. It lacked accountability and lacked any focus at all on the victims of crime. We have put that right. What were we left with by the previous Labour Government? A critical shortage of prison beds. What were we left with by the previous Labour Government? Gangs and organised crime that were growing in strength and the Government of the day was losing the fight against P. We had a Government of the day that released violent criminals on parole and the legal aid budget was completely blowing out. Violent crime was up 47 percent under the stewardship of the previous Government in the previous decade. Do you know that under the term of the previous Government only one law and order policy was released and that was—guess what—to form a committee?  
Well I can tell you that things are different under this National Government. In the first 4 years of this National Government we have clamped down on gangs. We have clamped down on organised crime and we are winning the war against methamphetamine. We have toughened bail sentences and we have abolished parole for the worst violent criminals which by the way the Labour Party has vowed to repeal. We have put more police on the streets for New Zealanders and we have given those police better tools to do their work.  
You know under this Government reported crime is down in the past 2 years and reported crime is at the lowest level since 1982. We have seized more than $30 million worth of P in 2012 and $40 million of criminal proceeds and that is just to date. That brings me to this year’s Budget and the huge goals that we have set ourselves because we believe that New Zealanders deserve to feel safe in their homes and their communities. 
 I believe that this Government puts people first. So that is why I am so proud of the announcements that our Minister of Police made for the Budget. Sixty-five million dollars will be prioritised in operating expenditure over the next 4 years. What will that do? We know that two-thirds of prisoners have addiction problems. We know that up to 90 percent cannot read or cannot write well. We think we should do something about that. Therefore we are going to increase investment in alcohol and drug treatment. We are going to increase investment in education and skills training. We want to reduce the likelihood of reoffending and increase the likelihood of successful reintegration into New Zealand society.  
This Government understands that addressing the drivers of crime and that involving whanau and involving communities in rehabilitation and reintegration is the way forward for New Zealanders. If we can help prisoners make a positive contribution to society on their release then we will have fewer crimes we will have fewer victims and we will have safer communities. Thank you.