3. MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) Link to this
to the Minister of Justice
How will the new sustainable funding model for community groups help to support victims of crime?
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Justice) Link to this
This Government is committed to strengthening support for victims, and recent announcements show that. They include the establishment of a central contact point for victims, including a website and an 0800 number; increased assistance to Victim Support; the establishment of independent victim advocates; and further funding to non-governmental organisations to deliver anti-violence programmes. But that is not all. Further announcements will be made over the coming weeks.
Yes. I have seen a supportive release from Victim Support, and I am advised that the response from the non-governmental organisations has been very positive. I have also seen Simon Power’s press release, which claims that this Government has ignored victims of crime. As usual, he is wrong. Since we became the Government we have strengthened and extended victims’ rights in the Victims’ Rights Act 2002, which replaced the old Act that was passed by the previous Labour Government in 1987. We have ensured that victims’ views are given formal recognition in the criminal justice process in the Sentencing Act, the Parole Act, and the Bail Act. We have also provided for the needs of vulnerable witnesses and victims in the Evidence Act. The list goes on. I put that record next to the National Government’s 1990s record, which looks very slim indeed for victims.
Simon PowerWhy did it take so long for the Government to announce last week that it would be developing a charter of victims’ rights when the Prime Minister first proposed this measure in 1994; and when will she be making progress from simply making announcements about “developing” and “consulting” on these 14-year-old policies?
I realise that the Prime Minister was not in Government in 1994, so it is a little hard for the Prime Minister to have put in place a charter of victims’ rights, but what we did when we became Government was to pass an Act of Parliament by 2002. The National Government had 9 years to do something for victims, and did nothing. So I have to say that I would put our record alongside National’s any day of the week.
Ron MarkWill this new charter of victims’ rights include the reinstatement of lump-sum payments to victims of crime, which is something that New Zealand First called for during the third reading of the 2008 bill that she spoke of; and will it include the recognition of victims who have been defrauded of a lifetime’s funding so that they are recognised as victims of crime, which is something that Nick Smith moved an amendment on in 2008 and which New Zealand First strongly supported and her Government roundly rejected? Will this new charter include those two factors?
The issue of compensation for victims is one of the recommendations from the select committee’s inquiry into victims’ rights—an inquiry that was strongly supported by New Zealand First and other parties in this House except the National Party. That recommendation, as was announced last week, has been sent to the Law Commission for it to give us advice on compensation for victims. We will have that advice later this year.