Motions — Department of Corrections—Death of Corrections Officer Jason Palmer

I seek leave to move a motion without notice on the recent death of corrections officer Jason Palmer.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: Is there any objection to that course being followed? There is none.

I move, That this House express its deep sympathy and condolences to the wife, family, friends, and colleagues of Spring Hill Corrections Officer Jason Palmer, who died on Sunday as a result of an assault by a prisoner. This assault happened on Saturday as Jason and two colleagues were unlocking the prisoner. The prisoner punched Jason in the face and he fell, hitting the concrete floor. Jason was taken to hospital, but the consequences of the assault were ultimately fatal, and on Sunday Jason’s life support was turned off.

Jason started working at the prison in November last year, having previously served as a marine in the United States. Jason was held in high regard by his fellow officers. He was known as an ambitious officer who was keen to learn. Jason was considered by his colleagues to have a high level of personal integrity and had a reputation for being firm but fair with the prisoners whom he managed. The work that corrections staff do, on behalf of all of us, is critical to public safety. However, the work, by virtue of its nature, can sometimes be dangerous, and Jason’s death is a grim reminder of the risks that corrections staff face every day as they fulfil their duties. Our thoughts now go out to his wife, Tracy, their two young children, Abbey and Riley, and the rest of Jason’s family, as they deal with their devastating loss. Once again, I would like to sincerely express the House’s sorrow and extend our deepest condolences to Jason’s family, friends, and colleagues.

The Labour Party joins with the Government in conveying condolences to the family of Jason Palmer. Our hearts go out to Mr Palmer’s wife, Tracy; his two children, Riley and Abbey; his mother, Ada; his extended family; and his fellow corrections officers.

Jason Palmer, beloved father, husband, son, corrections officer, and public servant, was, tragically, the first prison officer to be killed in the line of duty. He was a man who committed himself, I am told, firstly, to serving his country of birth, the United States, as a marine for 4 years, and, latterly, his adopted home of New Zealand, where he lived for the last 8 years and worked as a corrections officer for the last 6 months.

Along with his corrections colleagues Jason did a job that few of us in this country could do or would want to do—securing some of the most vile and violent criminals, and, in doing so, protecting our community. There are many unanswered questions in respect of this tragedy. How did it happen? Was it avoidable? What pressures have been put on corrections staff? Were warnings heeded? Who is accountable? Should there be an independent inquiry? But they are questions for another day. For now, our thoughts and prayers are rightly with Jason’s family. For now, we honour the memory of a true public servant. Jason has been described as a dedicated family man. His brother, Justin, has said that Jason would make people laugh even during a very dark time.

I join with others who say that our corrections staff do a superb job. I have had the privilege of visiting all but two prisons in our country. I was at Spring Hill Corrections Facility only a matter of weeks ago. It takes a tonne of guts, in my view, to walk amongst a pod of violent offenders, many of whom are gang members, with only one’s cotton shirt to protect oneself from immediate danger. Our prison officers, like Jason Palmer, deal with the ugly side of human nature day after day, and they still maintain their high standards of professionalism at work and a normal life at home. The fact that they can do that says a lot about them.

At this time I am mindful of some words penned by a Florida-based corrections officer of 21 years of experience, Larry Peoples, entitled “Correctional Officer’s Prayer”. The following words I think would seem very apt at this sad time:

“Lord, when it is time to go inside,

That place of steel and stone,

I pray that you will keep me safe,

So I won’t walk alone.

Help me to do my duty,

Please watch me on my rounds,

Amongst those perilous places,

And slamming steel door sounds.

God, Keep my fellow Officers,

Well and free from harm.

Let them know I’ll be there too,

Whenever there’s alarm.

Above all when I walk my beat,

No matter where I roam,

Let me go back whence I came,

To family and home.

Tragically, Jason Palmer will not return to his family or to his home, but he will always be remembered as a loving father and husband, a dedicated public servant, a professional corrections officer, a work colleague, and a good mate. He will be remembered as a man who, throughout his life, did not shy away from danger or cower to fear, but, instead, stared each down and did his duty, and did his job; an ordinary bloke who did extraordinary things.

On behalf of the Green Party, I add our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of Jason Palmer. Losing a loved one is devastating, especially when it means losing someone so young, with a family and children who needed him. The tragic circumstance of this death can only make it harder. Our thoughts are with the family now.

We in the Greens offer our gratitude to New Zealand’s hard-working corrections officers for the difficult and important job that they do in an increasingly dangerous environment. We know that they will be suffering deeply from the loss of a colleague. We offer them our condolences and support at this terrible time. We hope that everything possible will be done to stop any further tragedies like this one from happening again. We send a tribute to Jason Palmer and his family. We acknowledge him and his work. On behalf of the Green Party, I thank all corrections officers for the hard and difficult job that they do.

On behalf of the ACT Party I express our sorrow at the death of officer Jason Palmer and send our sincere condolences to his family, particularly to his wife, Tracy, and his two young children, Riley and Abbey, who have now lost a loving and loved father in the most tragic of circumstances.

As an earlier speaker has said, Mr Palmer died performing his duty, doing a job that few in New Zealand have the courage to do in dealing with some of the most unsavoury and dangerous elements in our society. As earlier speakers have noted, Mr Palmer served two countries. His country of birth was the United States, where he did military service in the Marine Corps for 4 years, but for the last 8 years he has called New Zealand his home with his wife and family. We are honoured to have a man who served two countries so well as one of our citizens.

It is important to remember that even after society has rendered its verdict on a criminal’s guilt, there are still those who have to remain vigilant to ensure that those dangerous criminals stay segregated from society. In a very real way, Jason and every one of our corrections officers are serving the rest of us, just as our soldiers do in Afghanistan. In fact, they are serving us more closely in protecting us from the bad guys here at home. We in the ACT Party thank him for his service and his ultimate sacrifice, and we offer our support and our condolence to his family and his friends. Thank you.

Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. I rise on behalf of the Māori Party to mark the passing of corrections officer Jason Palmer, who was tragically killed last weekend while on duty at Spring Hill prison. As I do so, my thoughts are also with the students from King’s College who are today dealing with the death of a third student since February. We think of those young students, who are reeling from the shock of losing a friend well before his time. I also acknowledge Te Ururoa Flavell’s family, who has lost a niece, and my own family, who have a mate at home.

Firstly, I want to acknowledge Jason’s work colleagues, who are still required to go about their duties. Prisons never stop, despite having to come to terms with what has happened and to deal with the great loss they must feel. The importance of their role in helping to keep our communities safe is often overlooked until something like this, some tragedy, happens. We pause for a moment to reflect on the appreciation that we owe to all those who choose to work on behalf of the Government who are sometimes placing themselves in sight of danger. This House has paid its respects on many occasions to those in the armed forces and the police force, and today, sadly, we pay our respects to the Department of Corrections, which joins that tragic roll of honour.

Jason had his life ahead of him. By all accounts, he could have gone far in corrections. He was known as an officer who was keen to learn. He was a professional and carried himself as such. Jason was held in high regard by his fellow officers for his personal integrity. He wanted to be the best that he could be. Sadly, this attack put paid to Jason’s ambitions and robbed corrections of a valued officer. This is a tragic waste of life.

Some real issues emerge out of this tragic incident, related to the protection of corrections staff and to the concerns that always appear at a time like this regarding the appropriate location and supervision of inmates. I am sure those issues will be addressed for the protection of all those who inhabit our prisons and also, importantly, for Jason’s family. Today they grieve for the loss of a cherished son, brother, father, and husband, but today is not the time to debate the whys and what fors; it is a time for tears, regret, and tributes to be heard.

Anyone who listened to National Radio this morning would have heard the aching despair of a mother mourning her son. In an interview, Ada Palmer referred to her daughter-in-law as a princess who represented the courage and generosity of the New Zealand spirit in allowing this son of American soil to be returned home. Our thoughts are of these two women bound inextricably in grief, of their children, and of all families today who are suffering the loss of dearly loved sons. We extend our love and our sincere sympathy at such a difficult time.

Nā reira, koutou ngā mate, haere, haere ki te okioki i roto i te Kaihanga, hei aha? Hei whāriki mā mātou; nā reira, koutou ki a koutou, haere, haere, haere. Kia ora.

[So I say unto you, the dead, depart, go forth, and rest there in the realm of the Creator, and for what purpose? To become a mat for us. So remain there among your own, oh dead. Depart, farewell, journey on. You are acknowledged collectively.]

On behalf of United Future, I join with others in paying tribute to the life of corrections officer Jason Palmer, who was so tragically killed at the weekend in the course of his duty. Every day, across this country, mothers and fathers go out to work. They say goodbye to their children as they leave for what they imagine to be an uneventful day before they return home in the evening to share the ups and downs of that day with their family. I imagine a similar scene took place in the Palmer household last Saturday, as it had on many other occasions. They never considered for a moment that that would be the last such occasion. That is the brutality of what happened. That is the shock and disruption that it has caused to that young family, and why our hearts must go out to them in this hour of great loss. Our sympathy and encouragement is with them for the future.

This is not the time to intrude upon that family’s grief by making political statements. This is not the time to try to turn the life of Jason Palmer into a cause for something else. We need to respect this man for what he achieved, and for the dedication and commitment that he showed to this country, to the country of his birth, to his family, and to his career. We need to acknowledge afresh the contribution made by those who serve in all our official services to protect our safety, and the risks that they take day in, day out. If we take a lesson from this, it must be one of eternal vigilance, of the need to ensure that those whom we expect to do those jobs day in, day out can, as I said before, say goodbye to their families in the morning and come home safely at night.

I put on record my tribute to Jason Palmer for what he achieved. I express my condolences and deep personal sympathy to his family—his wife, children, and extended family abroad—and express the hope that they will take some solace from the support shown to them by others around their community and country, and by this House this afternoon.

Motion agreed to.