6. RON MARK (NZ First) Link to this
to the Minister of Justice
Has he read the reported comments of Principal Youth Court Judge, Andrew Becroft, that there has been a surge in the most serious violent crime being committed by teenagers; if so, does he share this view?
Hon MARK BURTON (Minister of Justice) Link to this
I have seen the comments of Judge Becroft in an article that he wrote for the Justices Quarterly, in which he notes that the crime levels for this age group have stabilised over the last 5 to 8 years. He also notes that although serious offending grabs the headlines, it accounts for only a small percentage of the total number of offences. I think what the judge has rightly commented on is that in some cases the level of violence has escalated and he rightly—and I think as all members in this House would agree—draws attention to our concern about that.
Would he agree that effective deterrents are a key part of the youth justice system, and that the sharp jump in serious violent offences committed by youths may indicate that there is currently a lack of effective deterrents; if not, why not?
Again I think there is some confusion about what Judge Becroft was actually saying, but there is no doubt at all about the concern that he has rightly expressed—as I indicated in my first answer—to the seriousness of some of the violence. There is equally no question that we have to continue to look at the effectiveness of interventions. I have to say, however, there have been, and will continue to be, a range of programmes—such as Te Hurihanga, which is about to be built in Hamilton—which are about looking at how we address concerns around youth offending generally.
Nicky WagnerHas he read the reported comments of Judge Becroft that responsibility for young offenders should be removed from Child, Youth and Family Services because it cannot do the job, and that when Cabinet papers reveal that a review of Child, Youth and Family Services youth justice services capability is 9 months behind schedule despite the high degree of concern from the judiciary, and what is he doing to show some leadership in youth justice.
Gerry Brownlee
Madam SPEAKERWould members please settle. Each one has had a go, so we will have an answer to the question that has been asked.
I would have thought that the member opposite would want to treat this a little more seriously than he obviously does. I am not sure what particular document the member is referring to, and perhaps she will supply it to me afterwards and I could then confirm whether I have seen it before.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. The member opposite, who is not known for his athletic prowess, has just described me as a girl. It is not a terrible insult, but it is not, I think, an appropriate interjection to make during question time.
I most certainly did not refer to the Minister as being a girl. That is not an insult I would ever offer—it is just totally inappropriate. But I did call him a goon, and I think that name fits really well. I now seek leave for the Minister for Sport and Recreation to be given a couple of minutes to offer his congratulations to the Commonwealth Games athletes, noting that he was at an extended luncheon function earlier and was unable to participate in that debate earlier today.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I spent an hour and a half yesterday congratulating the athletes directly.
To complete my answer to the member, I say that the Government has initiated a wide range of interventions, ranging from those that I think the member might agree are particularly important, such as early intervention, which is part of a long-term strategy to make a difference to crime reduction. There is everything from increased participation by Māori and Pacific children in early childhood education, through to an extensive youth-offending strategy that includes, for instance, the creation of 30 youth-offending teams around the country, further training for police and Child Youth and Family Services, the introduction of health and education assessments for many young offenders, and so on. There is a great deal of work going on, but there is a great deal more to do.
Dr Pita SharplesHas the Minister read the recent comments of the same Principal Youth Court Judge, Judge Andrew Becroft, that “youth crime is not skyrocketing”, and that whatever we need to do to avoid imprisonment, we must take up, because when a person is sent to prison “it is likely the person will come out a more serious offender”, and does the Minister share this view?
Again, I am not sure whether I have seen the particular article the member refers to, but certainly the content of it is consistent with articles such as the one in the quarterly that I have referred to previously. Certainly, the judge does refer there to the relatively stable level of youth offending over the last 5 to 8 years. But I think, like virtually every judge I have ever spoken to—and I can say that there are a great many—tends to agree, prison is seldom the best strategy for reducing long-term offending.
Will the Government be supporting the referral of my Young Offenders (Serious Crimes) Bill to a select committee to enable the public to have their views heard on the youth justice system and on the tools available to police and the courts to deter young offenders from entering a life of crime and subsequently ending up in our jails, which, as the member has just pointed out, we possibly should not have because they do not work? [ Interruption]
Yes, indeed. The Government will be supporting the member’s bill, because I think it does offer an opportunity for consideration of some very serious issues, and I think the quality of the questions members have asked in the House this afternoon demonstrates that these are serious issues. They require serious consideration. I think this Parliament will benefit from the value contributed to the process by wide public involvement.