Corrections (Mothers with Babies) Amendment Bill

Clause 3 states that this Act amends the Corrections Act 2004. Clearly, this clause is important; otherwise, the bill would become an Act that would exist outside of the corrections system, and that would not be of any use at all. I was pleased to hear the Minister, Phil Goff, deal with the issue I raised as to when this amendment to the Corrections Act would actually come into force. I was very pleased that he took the opportunity to let us know that we, and the submitters, were not simply wasting our time in relation to legislation that might never come into force. It is certainly a situation where I think the Corrections Act itself has had a great deal of work done on it, and it is an area that is incredibly important.

This bill is yet another step forward for the Department of Corrections, in terms of the humanisation of some of the situations people find themselves in—certainly, in relation to the Corrections Act, which deals primarily, obviously, with offenders and those who are imprisoned. I think it is important to realise that although—as Mrs Chadwick said—this bill is primarily about the welfare of babies, it is somewhat foolish to think that it is about only the welfare of babies. The Corrections Act itself acknowledges that this has to be not just about the welfare of babies but also about the longer-term benefit to them as children. When their mothers are incarcerated and dealt with under the Corrections Act 2004, and now its amendments, their situations will be changed because they have had a better situation with their mums. Also, their mothers will be changed because of the bonding and the love they have received from their children. That is really all I want to say on this particular clause.

Clause 3 of the Corrections (Mothers with Babies) Amendment Bill says that it amends the Corrections Act 2004. I experienced one of the many firsts that happen in the House when I got to speak on the same side of a debate as Sue Bradford, the member in charge of the bill. I actually got to sit on the same couch as her and speak in favour of this amendment to the Act, and say what it would mean for mothers and their babies. I have not spent even 3 years in the House, but I have had a series of new experiences and surprises—and I hope that my future years here will see more—and one of those has been to sit with Sue and the Greens and to see the merits of this amendment to the Act and what it would mean.

At the end of the day, I saw that the bill was a good thing for babies. I took a little bit of grief from a few people who were surprised that National was actually in favour of and supporting something Sue Bradford had proposed. But I can say that we on this side of the Chamber saw it as being quite an easy thing to do. We very much saw this legislation as being not about punishing the mothers—the prison system does that in its own way—but about doing what was best for babies.

Every piece of evidence we saw supported this amendment to the Corrections Act. It was not a hard decision to make to stand up and recognise that this legislation was about something bigger than those women being imprisoned; it was about their babies getting the best possible start. That was our feeling about it and why we are supporting it. Thank you.

Clause 3 is titled “Principal Act amended”, and it is appropriate that it is. The Corrections Act 2004 is not in isolation any longer, because it is our intention to include babies being accommodated in prisons while their mothers are incarcerated, as long as certain conditions are met. On that basis there is not such a facility within the principal Act at the moment, and it is therefore quite appropriate that that be done. It is also quite relevant that this Act be amended, because it keeps us in line with a lot of other Western countries.

I pick up on a point that Judith Collins made, which was very, very appropriate, I thought, and that was the humanisation of the Corrections Act. I think that is something we need to keep foremost in our minds as we look at that principal Act as amended, because as it stood there was no provision or ability to go forward and do all the things we are talking about, which needed to be done around making this bill, the Corrections (Mothers with Babies) Amendment Bill a reality. We do not actually have those facilities available. We do not have the trained staff available. Therefore it makes that much more sense that the principal Act is amended so we can look forward to this provision becoming a reality so that babies can get the best possible opportunity, and so that we continue to grow as a caring and loving society.

Clause 3 agreed to.

Clause 4 Purpose