7. JACINDA ARDERN (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister for Social Development and Employment
Does she stand by her statement in the House on 30 April 2009 with regard to submissions made to the Social Services Committee on the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Youth Courts Jurisdiction and Orders) Amendment Bill that “Actually I did not say that those groups had misled the public”; if so, why, given that in her press release of 29 April 2009 she said “The narrow focus on boot camps by the media and critics has, I believe, misled the public.”?
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) Link to this
I just make it clear that the member’s original question asked whether I was claiming “groups such as Barnados, Unicef, and the Families Commission misled the public”. I have never said that those groups misled the public. What I have said time and time again is that critics of the scheme have not given the public the full story about Fresh Start—that is, about mentoring programmes, parenting programmes, drug and alcohol rehabilitation, and a whole set of programmes around the military-style camps.
Is the Minister of Justice, Simon Power, one of the critics she thinks is misleading the public, given that in a recent meeting with Grey Power he stated that on the matter of boot camps he is of the opinion that they do not work for offenders?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
I go back to my original statements. I did not say that those groups were misleading the public. But I know that my colleagues also share with me the view that intensive, wraparound services around these young offenders, long term, are what will make a difference in their lives. If we keep doing what we are doing now, we simply will not get different results.
Chester BorrowsHas the Minister received any information about what tools the judiciary feels it needs in order to deal with youth offenders?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
Yes, the Youth Court judges have been calling for some time for a wider range of options for young offenders, particularly for those who have already been through existing programmes. The Fresh Start package will allow judges to hand out longer sentences, and give them the ability to order offenders into custom-made programmes to address the causes of their offending.
Can the Minister explain what proportion of the Fresh Start programme will include the other interventions she has outlined, and what proportion will be military-style training, when the New Zealand Army has been confirmed as the provider for the entire programme?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
It is quite clear in the legislation that we envisage up to 40 young people in the first year being involved in the military-style camps. However, all youth offenders may be sentenced to the other programmes. The Fresh Start programme is a tool box that is given to the judges, which they can then use to sentence young offenders. There are no strict numbers around the programme. It is for those young people who come before the Youth Court. The judges actually make the decisions as to what sentences they give out. It is pretty straightforward.