7. GORDON COPELAND (Independent) Link to this
to the Prime Minister
Does she stand by her statement to the House last week: “I do not have any evidence to suggest that family breakdown would be the predominant cause,” in reference to crime in South Auckland and elsewhere?
Would the Prime Minister be surprised, therefore, that the Principal Youth Court Judge has released figures from a study of youth crime showing that 12 percent of offenders were living with both parents, 28 percent were living with one parent—usually the mother—and that a staggering 60 percent were not living with either their mother or their father; and is that not compelling evidence of the link between family breakdown and crime?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
I have not seen those figures, but of course there are quite significant numbers of families in our country where parents or partners have split, and where the children live with one or the other. I do not have those figures to hand either, but I would say that, sadly, it is rather a feature of our society that many children do not have a home where there are two loving parents present.
Sue BradfordDoes the Prime Minister agree with Manurewa Community Board member Alan Johnson that what is needed in areas like Randwick Park are a lot more resources directed towards children; if so, will her Government, for example, require the Ministry of Education to take urgent action to increase the number of early childhood education places available there?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
I have some sympathy with what the member has quoted from Alan Johnson on the community board. He is someone with a long history of concern for people and their families down on their luck. I am sure that increasing the number of small children in early childhood education would be a very, very positive move for those areas. I am conscious that there is less provision for that in parts of the Counties Manukau area. It is something the Ministry of Education will be asked to look at more closely.
Dr Pita SharplesTēnā koe, Madam Speaker. Tēnā tātou. Does the Prime Minister agree with the Ministry of Justice in its strategic policy brief of August 2007 that amongst other factors, “Poor educational outcomes are known to be linked to later criminality”, that “people of low socio-economic status are more likely to participate in crime”, and that “individuals already prone to involvement in crime offend more frequently when they are unemployed.”; and what specific investment will be provided to South Auckland communities to address some of these known risk factors?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
As the member will be aware, the overall crime rate is down. I think it is almost certain that that is linked to the very substantial fall in unemployment across New Zealand and, of course, also in Counties Manukau. That has been very positive. I also agree with him that low educational achievement and a short number of years at school are an issue. That is an issue the Government is addressing through the Schools Plus policy. So I have no problem with the general prognosis he has quoted from the Ministry of Justice, and I think that in a number of ways we are addressing those basic factors.
Is the Prime Minister aware that numerous studies indicate that children raised by a married couple have by far the lowest chance of becoming criminals; if so, does she realise that when she says marriage has “inappropriate connotations” and then prescribes the ways in which loving Kiwi parents can train and correct their children, many people now see her Government as being part of the problem rather than part of the solution?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
This Government stands second to none in the support it has offered our families, through Working for Families, through low State house rentals, through bringing back support for young couples owning their own homes, through the B4 School health checks, through the low numbers of children in new entrants classes, through the 20 hours’ free early childhood education, and through cheaper doctors’ fees and prescription charges. All these policies, every single one of them opposed by the National Party, make life easier for families. That is why I can say that all over New Zealand I have hundreds of people approaching me saying they would be terrified by a change of Government, because they do not want to lose the substantial provision for families that Labour makes.
I seek leave of the House to table the statistics from the Youth Court in New Zealand that I mentioned.
Madam SPEAKERI seek leave to table the Māori and safer communities symposium strategy policy brief for the Ministry of Justice.