Fenton Darien: Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
Fenton Darien: Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Bill — In Committee Third Reading 
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DARIEN FENTON (Labour) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to take a call on Part 1 of the Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Bill. Labour supports this part although as we have said before we have serious concerns about the expectation raised by the amendments in this part among the communities that have been suffering harm from illegal street racers. We also have some concerns which we have expressed about its companion legislation regarding vehicle confiscation and seizure. However we believe that this bill has some useful powers that will enhance the ability of enforcement officers to deal with the menace of illegal street racing. 
Part 1 is the guts of the bill and its measures aim to reduce the harm and nuisance caused to the community by illegal street racers in terms of road safety noise public nuisance and disorder. The bill strengthens the power of the police local authorities and other road control agencies to deal with boy racers and their antisocial behaviour. As I said we have concerns and I will get into those. But I reiterate that we have enormous sympathy for those submitters and the other people who are suffering from the harm caused by illegal street racers. I refer particularly to those who came to the select committee to talk about the measures in Part 1 the residents of the so-called four avenues of Christchurch who described to the committee the recurring nightmare of the congregation of boy and girl racers in and around their streets with noise drunkenness and bad behaviour disturbing their sleep. Anyone who has had occasional experiences of loud parties or cars going up and down their street will have some idea of how the heart sinks when the noise starts up and how the deep bass of the music or the noise of the revving car going past seems to get into one’s bones and one has to steel oneself for yet another sleepless night. For me fortunately it happens only occasionally. For those residents who submitted to the select committee it is occurring every Friday and Saturday night. It is awful. 
The bill does indeed give police more powers but the question yet to be answered—and I ask the Minister in the chair the Hon Steven Joyce whether he might want to respond to this—is whether the police having those extra powers means that they will be accompanied by additional resources. What will the Government put in place to make sure that all of the powers in Part 1 can indeed be resourced properly by the police so they can do their job? 
One of the things in Part 1 that I want to talk a little bit about is the definition of “cruising” in the interpretation clause. This attracted quite a lot of attention in the select committee. People were confused about the clause and had concerns about it and many of the submitters made suggestions about how we could change it. I still find it quite bizarre that Parliament seems to be adopting a street language term. When I look at the plain meaning of “cruise” it means coasting going on a journey gliding speeding going on a tour or going travelling. The only time I have heard of “cruising” is in relation to illegal behaviour by street racers. Probably earlier in our day cruising meant that men got in their cars—look at Mr Mallard; he knows all about it—and crawled along the kerbs of the streets trying to pick up chicks. That was what they were trying to do. I want to know why the Government has decided to adopt street language and to use the term “cruising” which I would be worried about because it might just encourage the boy racers and the not-so-young men racers. 
Although the select committee did propose some amendments to the definition of cruising surely driving backwards and forwards over the same stretch of road is just as much “cruising” as repeatedly driving over the same stretch of road in the same direction. Labour wants some clarity in this area. It seems pretty stupid as it stands and we do not want a law that gives racers the ability to thumb their noses at police officers by saying they are driving backwards and forwards rather than in a circle.