Speech: Prohibition of Gang Insignia

Sometimes in this House I think we hear everything and yet hear nothing of real substance and I think that’s a worry when you consider the cost to the taxpayer of keeping this House running.

 

I want to say that the Maori Party has very serious concerns about the levels of violence in all of our communities and we are very concerned about doing something to address that.

 

I am devastated by the levels of violence right across our society - perpetrated by and against all ages, in all forms, in all communities.

 

If we thought that targeting seven gangs – three of which don’t even belong to Whanganui - that’s the three white gangs – then we would support it.

 

But there are 88 gangs in this country and yet this Bill only targets seven.

 

And if this House thought that targeted gang insignia was the most important thing to address, then this Bill should have been rolled out right around New Zealand.

 

If this House believes this approach is going to work in Whanganui how come we wouldn’t take it to every town? If gang insignia is such a serious issue, and we spend a huge number of hours debating this matter – why then only pilot in Whanganui? Why not the whole country? Surely, as law makers, if we decide that the wearing of gang paraphenalia is creating an issue of safety then it should be in all parts of the country – not just limited to one city.

 

I want to say that Whanganui is not a gang city and I resent anyone in this House making that assumption.

 

I want to address the comments of my colleague that these people are not whanau.

 

I was to say today with considerable sadness in my heart that there are a number of people in gangs in Whanganui who connect to Whanganui iwi. Those who are descendants of the river are our relatives, and we cannot deny them their whakapapa.

 

And we are deeply saddened that they have to find their comfort and their care outside of whanau.

 

And so we look at those who are involved in these groups, and we ask what it is that has happened to us in this country, that we have a phenonomen that does not come from this culture or from this country.

 

Why do we have so much poverty in our communities that these groups are able to offer these kids something we have not clearly not provided them?

 

While I accept there are elements in the gang culture that I don’t support, there are things that as politicians we could do.

 

We don’t seem to care about the young and the dispossessed.

 

The only place that we can care for them seems to be in the institutions of this country. If we listened to them, we might find we have a lot of work to do as Parliament.

 

I want to mihi to Simon Power who is prepared to look at the reasons for criminal offending.

 

I am more concerned, and so is our party, to find out what those things are and what we should be doing so we can intervene so we can help these people to be an important part of our community.

 

There are many groups who are called gangs who have participated and done some great things.

 

Back in the 80s Parekura Horomia made a huge contribution as a public servant trying to ameliorate the harm in the community. They had the contract work scheme – but sad to say that scheme which was working didn’t last.

 

I just want to say that it’s easy to sit here and thrown stones – but if I thought that for one moment that this legislation was going to make a difference we would be supporting it.

 

But Metiria is right.

 

There are many things that symbolize belonging to these particular groups.

 

We have seen people who have unfortunately died through the colours they wore – not the insignia.

 

We need to address the behaviour and not the patch.

 

We must move from the tactics of suppression to strategies that create solutions.

 

I mihi to Kim Workman, who has shown that different strategies can be employed amongst the gangs, and criminal offending and inevitably produce different results.

 

So we need to think carefully, and in a considered manner about what is the best approach towards encouraging self discipline while at the same time restoring that sense of community spirit.

 

We must resist the temptation to just throw a whole batch of punitive measures up into the air: like hefty fines; like introducing bylaws; asking police who are already overworked to arrest without warrant those for whom they hold a suspicion about their activities.

 

All of the research tells us that prohibitions generally do not work.

 

What we need most is to urgently stimulate community debate and strategic action to address the upfront issues of public safety, and the underlying issues such as family and community violence.

 

We are not a Party that supports the tactics of suppression and exclusion. We support a restorative justice system; and we advocate for helping agencies – including government – to work together with communities to develop and implement their own solutions.

 

I’m not saying that what is confronting us is not difficult and I mihi to Chester for bringing this to the House; an issue which is confronting every single community in the land.

 

We will not support this Bill.