Corrections, Department—Sentencing and Parole Costs

Has she seen estimated costs of $7.5 billion for an additional 14,000 offenders who will require another 24 prisons, and do these massive costs mean the National Government will not support the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill through all its stages?

No.

When does she or her colleagues intend to inform New Zealanders that rather than only supporting this bill being referred to a select committee, the National Government has reached a deal with ACT to pass it through all its stages in exchange for ACT’s support for the Wanganui District Council (Prohibition of Gang Insignia) Bill, or is this a dirty little deal that they wanted to keep in the closet?

Goudie Sandra Goudie Link to this

No.

What other reports on costs has she received from the department?

Today I was advised by the department that the previous Minister of Corrections, the Hon Phil Goff, asked the department to analyse National’s law and order policies. I can only assume that that was because his Government did not have any of them.

Is she aware that last night on the Back Benchers programme on Television New Zealand’s channel 7, Rodney Hide announced, for New Zealand to know, that you are voting for the bill—

I do not think I am voting for anything.

—that the Minister and her Government are voting for the bill because they have struck a deal over the gang insignia bill? That is why they are voting with ACT on this bill, but they are hiding it.

Garrett David Garrett Link to this

I was not watching the Back Benchers programme on TV last night; I was working.

Does the Minister agree with Ministry of Justice estimates that show that “three strikes” legislation will lead to an increase of just 70 beds over 20 years, costing $21 million at $300,000 per bed, and does she agree that had such legislation been in place when 78 people were killed, their lives would have been saved?

That is certainly the information I have been provided with.

I seek leave to table the transcript of the Back Benchers programme last night, where Rodney Hide announced that the ACT Party voted for the gang insignia bill because it had struck a deal with the National Government on the “three strikes” bill.

Leave is sought to table that transcript. Is there any objection? There is objection.

I seek leave to table a letter from the Department of Corrections to the then Minister of Corrections, dated 8 October 2008 and headed “Impacts of proposed parole changes”, which details the National Party policy.

Is there any objection to that document being tabled? There is none.

Document, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.

I seek leave to table another letter from the Department of Corrections to the then Minister of Corrections, dated 16 October 2008, detailing further impacts of the proposed parole changes.

Cullen Hon Dr Michael Cullen Link to this

Is there any objection to that letter being tabled? There is none.

Document, by leave, laid on the Table of the House.

I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I inform the House that the Labour Party is prepared to make one of its supplementary questions available to Mr Hide, if he would care to ask a question.

Hide Hon Rodney Hide Link to this

First of all, may I beg the indulgence of the House to thank Michael Cullen for that—

Hide Hon Rodney Hide Link to this

The member must ask his question.

Can the Minister confirm that if “three strikes and you’re out” had been in place, 78 New Zealanders would be alive now rather than their having been killed, which is what happened under the previous Government’s law and order legislation?