Ross Jami-Lee: Bail Amendment Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeRoss Jami-Lee: Bail Amendment Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 02 July 2013. Volume:691;Page:11534. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany):Thank you Mr Assistant Speaker. I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this bill the Bail Amendment Bill. This Government’s focus in the law and order area has been all about ensuring that New Zealand is safer for New Zealanders. We are seeing great results. Crime is at a 30-year low. We have got more police officers on the street. Public confidence in law enforcement in New Zealand is on the increase and long may it be so. But this bill is all about ensuring that we have our bail laws correct. It is an important thing that we ensure that we both balance the rights of those who are rightfully innocent until proven guiltybut also ensure that New Zealand’s streets are safe for those who want to go about their daily lives in the normal manner. The changes in this bill will help to achieve that. The changes in this bill will ensure that New Zealanders are kept safer.Firstly we have got a reverse burden of proof which will be beefed up around murder and I think that anyone out there in New Zealand who looks at the bail situation for accused murderers would appreciate the fact that for a first-time offence an individual is subject to a reverse burden of proof. They will also appreciate the additional offences that will be included in the list for the reverse burden of proof for people who are accused of a crime and have previously had some time inside at Her Majesty’s pleasure. I am also particularly pleased that in the Law and Order Committee we had quite a long discussion about the situation for 18 and 19-year-olds and now they will be subject to the adult test for bail at the age of 18 and 19 rather than the youth test. I think that most New Zealanders would accept that the age at which you become an adult is 18 and therefore the age at which you should be subject to the adult test for bail should be at 18 not at 20.I am pleased though to follow the Green Party member Jan Logie because like a number of members on this side of the House we are actually quite offended by some of the comments the Greens have to say. I want to read out for the record what the Green Party said in its minority report. It said: “Many of the provisions contained in the bill appear to be a purely political response to expressions of public concern about crime …”. So for those out there who are listening at home the Green Party thinks that ensuring public safety is a prime consideration when it comes to bail for murder is purely a political response. It also said: “Unfortunately much of that concern is based on misinformation aided by a vocal minority calling for excessively punitive measures”.I do not know whether the Green Party members were actually listening during our hearings but we had family members who had suffered significant losses at the hands of criminals. We had in front of us mothers and fathers whose children had been killed by offenders who had committed heinous crimes against their children. I would not call them a vocal minority. I would call them New Zealanders who are hurting. I would call them New Zealanders who want to ensure that the ratbags and rascals who commit crimes against their family members are given the proper test for bail. I would call them New Zealanders who want to ensure that this country is a safe place to raise a family a safe place to live in a place where we are not soft on criminals and not a place where we have politicians who care more about reducing prison numbers than ensuring that our streets are safe. This bill is an important part of ensuring New Zealand is safer for New Zealanders and it should be passed by this House.The question was put that the amendments recommended by the Law and Order Committee by majority be agreed to.