PQ 7. Corrections Department—Management of Phillip Smith’s Case [Sitting date: 26 November 2014. Volume:702;Page:6. Text is subject to correction.]

7. KELVIN DAVIS (Labour—Te Tai Tokerau) to the Minister of Corrections : Does he have confidence in his department’s management of Phillip Smith?

Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA (Minister of Corrections): I have confidence in the department, but mistakes have been made in the Smith case, and I am not happy that they were made. The recent review into this incident has given us 13 recommendations to improve temporary releases, and the department is adopting all of them. As Minister I will be keeping a close eye on their implementation.

Kelvin Davis : How did the Department of Corrections allow a prisoner out for 74 hours without electronic monitoring when the Parole Board had found a year earlier that “prisoner Smith remains at high risk of posing a serious danger to the community.” ?

Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA : The review shows that Mr Smith’s release plan was misinformed, and that, as a result, monitoring was inadequate. As a result of the review it is now the default position for GPS to be used for all prisoners on temporary release.

Kelvin Davis : How can he continue to have confidence in the Department of Corrections when it allowed Phillip Smith, while incarcerated, to obtain a passport in his original name, which was used in his escape?

Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA : The retrieval of the passport was a legitimate request by Mr Smith. It will be covered in the inter-agency inquiry that has been announced by Minister Bennett.

Kelvin Davis : How can the Minister say that the passport was a legitimate request?

Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA : I am not responsible for the processing of passports, but—[Interruption] It is not my responsibility.

Kelvin Davis : I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I was referring to the previous response that the Minister had made.

Mr SPEAKER : I accept that the member was, and he certainly made those comments in the earlier answer when the member asked how he could have confidence when this particular gentleman was able to get a passport through the process. The Minister’s response was that he had got it through a legitimate process, or words to that effect. You have then taken the opportunity to raise a legitimate supplementary question, which the Minister has chosen to answer by saying he is not responsible for the processing of passports. That is a satisfactory answer to the question. I invite the member to continue with his supplementary questions.

Kelvin Davis : Does the Minister believe that inter-departmental communications relating to prisoner release visits is adequate; if not, why has the Department of Corrections failed to put forward any recommendations to correct that?

Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA : The review was to determine what happened when Phillip Smith absconded from the country on temporary release. The review did not cover the matter that the member is asking about.

Chris Hipkins : I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The question had nothing to do with the review.

Mr SPEAKER : I can make fast progress on this by asking Mr Davis to repeat his question for the benefit of the Minister.

Kelvin Davis : Does the Minister believe that interdepartmental communications relating to prisoner release visits is adequate; if not, why has the Department of Corrections failed to put forward any recommendations to correct that?

Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA : The issue of cross-agency cooperation is being covered by the ministerial inquiry that was commissioned by Minister Bennett.

Chris Hipkins : I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. There was a very clear question to the Minister as to whether he regarded it as sufficient. He could say that he is awaiting the outcome, but simply saying that it is being covered by a review is not an answer.

Mr SPEAKER : There have now been two answers to the question. Effectively, what the Minister is saying is that the review will sort it out. The Minister is responsible for his answer, not me. I have got to decide whether he has addressed the question. On this occasion, I think he has. I clearly accept that it is not to satisfaction of members to my left.

ENDS

ENDS

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