Loheni AgnesAGNES LOHENI (National): Thank you Madam Chair for the opportunity to make a contribution to this committee stage on Part 1 of the Oranga Tamariki Legislation Bill. As has been traversed in this House this bill tightens up legislation particularly on procedures and processes relating to 17-year-olds within the youth justice jurisdiction. As my colleague the Hon Louise Upston the previous speaker just talked about before there have been comments about how Oh you're just lifting the age." It isn't just about lifting the age. It's a very significant bill. It's a technical bill but it's a bill that actually affects lives for a particular significant group of 17-year-olds.So in terms of Part 1 we were looking at the area of jurisdiction of the Youth Court. The committee was advised by officials that there could be an estimated 1000 proceedings involving 17-year-olds under way in the District Court or the High Court on 1 July 2019 ranging from minor to serious offences. So for the majority of these 17-year-olds this bill is a move in the right direction. It's a great start moving in that direction. It would be fair to say that for many of these 17-year-olds in this group they have not had a great start in life. So I'm pleased to say that this was a move initiated by the previous National Government and I applaud that move by this Government to continue on this path to continue this work. It's an important piece of work because it is about changing lives for our young people. It's about giving these young people a chance to go down another path—a path that will allow more intervention at a crucial point in the development of these young people because if these 17-year-olds come before the District Courts the potential is high that they will be making connections that are not in their best interests and connections that potentially lead them down a path of crime. So age is an important factor here.I'd like to refer you to some comments made by Associate Professor Ian Lambie Chief Science Adviser for New Zealand's justice sector who said that brain development is definitely one influence on youth behaviour. Can I quote from him: "It is now apparent that brain pathways develop in such a way that adolescents undertake more risk-taking behaviour than older or fully mature individuals." This is not about excusing the behaviour; it is not about excusing the crime. It's about acknowledging that brain development for many young people needs to be considered as we look to at least try to get these young ones on to another path a path away from crime.In various data if we delve further into the young people who are committing these crimes we find that most have experienced family dysfunction and disadvantage. Eighty percent are male and they often have a lack of a positive male role model in their life. We will find high rates of mental illness—between 50 and 75 percent of the youth involved in the justice system meet diagnostic criteria for at least one mental or substance-use disorder. We will find learning difficulties—one in five youth offenders has a learning disability and 92 percent of the more serious young offenders have significant learning difficulties with reading skills being particularly low. Also in this group you'll often find a history of trauma and abuse and most have some form of other mental health or specific learning disability.There's no doubt challenging circumstances here but as I said this bill is a move in the right direction. Also in terms of the treatment of our young people this bill does bring New Zealand more in-line with UNROC—United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. But more importantly than that it is actually about changing lives. Thank you Madam Chair."