for that course of action. Is there any
There is none. The House come to
questions for oral answer.
My
My question is to
Does he stand by his Government's previous
previous support of
if so, does the Government intend to send young
people charged with serious offences
to a military camp,
despite the
despite the Prime Minister's Science Advisor
Science Advisor saying boot
saying boot camps
The
The Rt Hon PM. Mr Speaker, in answer to the first part of the
yes, it's important that, if you want to actually achieve results
with public spending, you need
to know what works. In answer
to the second part
know what works. In answer to the
training academy involving...
..involving 12 months of intensive wraparound support for 150 of the
most challenging young people in
New Zealand as an alternative
to them serving out their
sentence in prison. This is a new policy. It
has not been tried before. We are not
prepared to sit back
and allow ongoing lack of success in changing
the lives of the most
challenging 150 young people in the country.
Order! Supplementary question, Jacinda Ardern. What
evidence did he take from the failed
corrective training camps
training camps he's used in the past, and the failed boot
camps he used in 2009, to
these new boot
Mr Speaker, the member may be pleased to know that,
for some of the young
pleased to know that, for some of
they did work well. But it is part of our approach to take the
lessons from what has been tried, to change
it, improve it, and tailor our
programmes to the needs of
small groups, families and individuals.
And in this case,
150 young people who have been convicted of the most
serious crimes with sentences up to
14 weeks. Labour's approach is to
role
role out lightweight, branded programmes without any care as to
whether they work or not. Spending
taxpayers' money to show they care.
Order!
taxpayers' money to show they care. Order! Supplementary
Order! Supplementary question, Jacinda Ardern. Did he consult
the Children's Commissioner and
former principal Youth Court judge Andrew
Beecroft before implementing this
policy, who says,
Beecroft before implementing this
offenders to boot camp is 'arguably the least successful sentence in the
Western
the least successful sentence in the
would be inappropriate to consult the Children's Commissioner on a
listening to the Labour Party's description of the policy. The
policy is not six weeks of
short, sharp time in a tent, living in a
12 months' intensive wraparound for young people whose sentences range
up to 14 years because they've
committed murder, rape,
aggravated robbery. And we
committed murder, rape, aggravated
never give up on these young people.
We believe there's always hope and we can always do better than sending
them to prison, where they learn how
to live a life of crime.
Order!
Order! Substantially less interjection from both sides of the
House, please.
interjection from both sides of the
I've just asked for less interjection. Supplementary
interjection. Supplementary question, Jacinda Ardern. Why
does he think it's important to
give young orders practical
life skills, but the idea of teaching those
same skills Labour has called for as part
of
skills Labour has called for as part
Speaker, I'd certainly be happier talking about our policy
than that policy. Because it sums up the
difference. You see
policy. Because it sums up the
Labour leader raised it. The Labour policy is a typical,
Labour leader raised it. The Labour
loosely specified,
and show you care. Our policy is adapted and tailored to
the particular group and their needs,
designed to change lives. Our policy
is about these serious
young offenders. Labour's
offenders. Labour's policy is about a lightweight announcement to fill
the media for a day.
a lightweight announcement to fill
Supplementary question, Jacinda Ardern. Why is he opposing a plan
supported by employers,
local government New Zealand,
and schools, to give
government New Zealand, and schools,
skills they need in adult life, like driving, like workplace skills, and
Speaker, we err not opposing a plan. We're opposing a
reheated, lightweight announcement which is
opposed
principals. The Government is focused on policy that is tailored
to the needs
focused on policy that is tailored
most vulnerable and most challenging. And the money
that that member might want to spray around
to
on grappling with some of New Zealand's most challenging
social problems. In
problems. In this case...
In this case, the 150 most difficult young people in New Zealand. And if
we can change
their lives, then we change things for this country for
the next 30 years. Order!
the next 30 years. Order! Has he seen the evidence from the
AA, which shows that, through things
like issuing free drivers' licences
and driver training, we
have the opportunity to deal more effectively
with young
with young drivers, reduce offending and fines, and reduce the burden on
our
our courts whilst supporting young
show they care. This Government actually cares. That's
the
already a number of targeted driver licence programmes designed to
reduce driver offending and
enable employability with
employability with those young people who actually need it. The
member may also not
be familiar with the trend that fewer young people
are getting their licences. I would
have thought, as a member for
an
Order!
Order! Supplementary question, Jacinda Ardern. Will he join with
me in
Jacinda Ardern. Will he join with me
Genuine offer. Genuine offer. Will he join with me in and invest in
young people using programmes
that work and will make a difference,
and will help young people to
make a contribution to New Zealand, rather
than investing in failed programmes
Speaker, our measure isn't political support for a
programme.
Our measure is whether we can change the lives of 150 young people
whose lives have been defined by violence,
by fragmented families, by drug and
alcohol addiction, by sexual abuse,
and serious criminal offending.
Frankly, I don't care if
there isn't broad political support. We
care about changing the lives of these
most challenging young people.
Question
Question No. 2
My
My question is to the
Mr
Mr Speaker,
has spent on fresh water improvement
the water in our waterways. Including
the water in our waterways.
improvement fund set aside in the Budget, and