Bates CarlCARL BATES (National—Whanganui): Thank you Madam Speaker for the opportunity to take the final call on the Victims of Family Violence (Strengthening Legal Protections) Legislation Bill. Last Friday I had the privilege of having the Minister of Police and Corrections in Whanganui and it makes me reflect on the victims that are going to experience the new justice hub Te Puna Hapori in Whanganui that's currently being constructed. As this bill navigates its way through the House I'm looking forward to the opportunity that victims who present at that new court space as it's built are going to be able to feel like they are the centre of focus because we are bringing in legislation that is focused on victims. I really like the language that my colleague and great MP Rima Nakhle spoke about before when she said that this is a victim-centric bill. I think as we take this through the House it's really important to remember that victims are at the focus of this bill.The bill strengthens the courts' ability to respond by removing individuals' attempts to use the courts to harass to annoy to harm and to psychologically abuse others. You know New Zealand is not the United States; we're not a litigious nation. We shouldn't put victims in a space of feeling like the law can be used against them—that they can end up ultimately feeling like they're in the United States because there's this litigious focus that they can get caught in in court proceedings that are only designed to batter and wear them down. This bill addresses that challenge.Given the second reading of this bill has been broken over two days I thought that it would be valuable as part of the conclusion of the speeches in the second reading to reference back to Minister Goldsmith yesterday who talked about the purpose of this bill. It is about ensuring that we don't have the misuse of court proceedings particularly when it is about disturbing or is intended to hurt victims. The purpose of this bill is to as I said strengthen the court's ability to respond to litigation abuse and the Minister spoke yesterday about that. It gives the courts a tool to protect victims from litigation abuse. It focuses on the harm to the targeted party rather than the behaviour and this I think is a key distinction of the legislation. It shows the focus that we have on the victim—the target of the harm if you like—rather than on the behaviour. It's intended to capture and I quote a pattern of behaviour that leads to litigation abuse".This has been through select committee as we know—the hard-working Justice Committee which I have the opportunity to serve on a regular basis as a sub-in. There were two key changes—Cameron Brewer: Honorary member.CARL BATES: An honorary member—my fellow colleague here Cameron Brewer says—of the Justice Committee. I always look forward to my opportunity to participate because they are engaged in ensuring that the best legislation is presented to this House and I just want to acknowledge the chair of the Justice Committee who's led that James Meager member of Parliament.The two key changes that came through that process were firstly to better recognise the impact of litigation on the abuse victim. Now that was a key change that came through the opportunities that they had through the submissions that were provided to the select committee when they weren't interrupted—the select committee submissions. And then secondly to focus on harm to the targeted party—and that required just some changes in the wording to ensure that that was clear and articulated well. The bill would focus as we said on the victim's rights and prevent the repeated—and I think that's key to this bill the repeated target of threats assaults and serious physical violence.I would hate to think—I haven't been in the position that I've had to worry about this situation. Just reading the bill reading the submissions reading the notes that have come with this I would hate to be in the position of one of those victims who is the target. That's a pretty strong word in the context of this legislation—the target of threats abuse and serious physical violence. I think that we need to fix that. While I acknowledge that the Opposition brought this bill into the House prior to the last election like many things it is this Government that is delivering and getting it done. So this is as my colleague Cameron Brewer said a new dawn as we come through the end of the winter session of this House—a new dawn for victims so that we can ensure they no longer have to feel like the target of this abuse.So finally if I can just acknowledge once again the hard work of the Justice Committee thank them for getting this to the House and just say that I commend this bill to the House. Thank you.Motion agreed to.Bill read a second time."