Statutes Amendment Bill (No 5)

I rise to support this part of the Statutes Amendment Bill (No 5), and draw the Committee’s attention specifically to clause 27, which includes new section 96A. This section relates to the Nelson Rifle Prize Fund, which is being abolished, with the Public Trust ceasing to administer the fund, and with all money being handed over to the cadet forces. The terms and conditions around which the cadet forces are permitted to administer those funds are clearly stated in new section 96A, and they relate to the promotion of firearm safety in the Nelson region, the provision of firearm training, and the provision of monetary or other prizes for national shooting competitions held in the Nelson region.

I take this opportunity to focus on why this is good and what it will do. I have never heard anyone in the House stand up and laud or applaud the work done by the parents and the community support teams that sit behind the New Zealand cadet forces. We go back to days that you will probably remember, Mr Chairperson, when the cadet forces were an integral part of our schools; indeed, many military people gained their first exposure to military service in the cadet forces at schools. Of course, that became politically incorrect, and I think it took a National Government to abolish them, to wind them down, and to see the cadet forces become a nonentity. But they still survive. In my area of Christchurch and Canterbury I have attended many parades as a member of Parliament. In fact, I attended one just last week; it was the end-of-year parade and prize-giving at which prizes were given out to the Christchurch unit of the cadet forces for, among other things, shooting competitions.

I take this opportunity to say that the cadet forces are valuable. From the cadet forces come potential recruits into our mainstream military; it does not matter whether they are Army, Navy, or Air Force—they go there. Many young people who experience the cadet forces go on to serve in the police force. We as a Parliament should note that we need to do more for the cadet forces. This section is good because it will help the Nelson cadet unit. I have already had discussions with the Minister of Defence, Phil Goff, who has also expressed his view that the cadet forces are valuable, and I have also had discussions with the Secretary of Defence and the Chief of Defence Force. I look forward to progressing over the next 3 years more support, through the Government, for the cadet forces.

I think it is good that young men and women are exposed, in a controlled manner, to firearms and firearms training. The more people who are exposed to good firearms training, the less we build up fears and unjust views of what firearms are and are not capable of. Enabling people to learn mountain safety and to hunt safely, in their private lives, and to compete both locally and nationally in military shooting events is all good stuff. It helps to promote greater self-discipline, and it helps to promote greater awareness. From that, those young men and women go out and teach those skills to other New Zealanders who are of the same age—some of them are simply family members, and others are members of the cadet forces themselves.

At the cadet prize-giving in Christchurch at the weekend a young lady, Staff Sergeant Nation, took away a whole bunch of prizes. She is a fine example. She is going forward, I think, into the Navy of all things. Much of what she has learnt—the discipline and the skills that she has been able to pass on to other cadet NCOs and other cadets—has been specifically focused around firearms safety and firearms use.

The cadet forces are a very good starting point for our young people. I just wish more young people had the opportunity to serve in the cadet forces. One thing I lament—and hope it will change—is that down in the South Island there are very few brown faces involved; not many Māori are participating. On the contrary, in the North Island there is a very large contingent of young Māori entering the cadet forces, as seen at a parade attended by Brigadier Whiting and shown on Te Karere last week. The cadet forces are a good place to acquire discipline, to acquire focus, to learn about goal setting, and to be exposed to good role models.

I must say again that I take my hat off to parents who sit behind their young people and do the fund-raising and the organising, arrange the transport, help organise the equipment and the resources, and work very closely with the military to ensure that these cadet forces continue to operate and that these young people get this exposure. This small change will help those cadet forces in the Nelson-Marlborough area and it is a good thing. It should be applauded. We should do more.

Part 8 agreed to.

Part 9 agreed to.

Part 10 Flags, Emblems, and Names Protection Act 1981