Mark Ron: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Mark Ron: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:629;Page:1798] 
6.  
RON MARK (NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Justice 
: Does his department hold statistics that indicate how much crime is being committed by foreign nationals; if not why not? 
Hon MARK BURTON (Minister of Justice) 
: 
 No. The Ministry of Justice sources its statistics from databases maintained for administrative purposes which do not contain information on citizenship. 
Ron Mark 
: Would the Minister consider recording whether those convicted are foreign students who are here on student visas; if not will he be requesting that such statistics are kept given the rise in kidnapping extortion and murder cases committed by foreign nationals including the story of Bo Fan outlined in today’s  
New Zealand Herald 
 Ding Yan Zhao who killed a 4-year-old girl while driving recklessly and countless other incidents involving foreign students some of which recently prompted a judge to declare the existence of an apparent kidnapping season? If he does not accept that nationality statistics need to be collated could he please tell the House why not? 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: Whilst it is always prudent to keep such matters under review I would have to say to the member that information collected by the ministry is used in a way to identify interventions to reduce further offending and to assist with administration of the criminal justice system. The ministry collects information therefore on gender age ethnicity and other factors that assist justice sector agencies to administer and properly target their programmes. Nationality is not a predictor of offending and does not assist with targeting programmes within the justice sector. 
Ron Mark 
: How can the Minister be comfortable telling the House that information is not specifically collated and that there are no plans to do so when we know that the incidence of crime committed by foreign nationals including students is like the incidence of crime committed by Maori disproportionately high and is like Maori crime on the increase and we know that the Government does not collate nationality data for legal aid and that the police do not record the nationality of people arrested or charged with an offence but they will record every occasion where a Maori commits such a crime? 
Hon MARK BURTON 
: As I indicated to the member before the information collected is on gender age ethnicity and other factors that are proven to assist justice sector agencies to administer and properly target programmes. Nationality is not a predictor of offending. It does not assist with targeting programmes within the justice sector. 
Ron Mark 
: I would like to table a couple of things. I would like to table firstly a report in the Christchurch  
Press 
 that points out that in the last 3 years Asian crime has overtaken all other types of crime. It is an article by Bob Kerr a detective. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Ron Mark 
: I would like to table answers to written questions from Mr Hawkins the then Minister of Police and from Mr Goff the then Minister of Justice saying that the police do not record details of people’s nationalities when they prosecute or charge and that the Legal Services Agency does not record the detail on its database of legal aid given to foreigners. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table those written questions. Is there any objection? Yes there is.