NEW ZEALAND THIRD READING: NEW ZEALAND
Passports Amendment Bill (No 2) The Passports Amendment Bill (No 2) unanimously passed its Third Reading on 15 October 2015, amending the Passports Act 1992. The changes increase the validity period of New Zealand passports from five years to 10 years, increase the validity of refugee travel documents to five years, and extend the electronic management of passport details, allowing passports to be cancelled remotely. Hon. David Cunliffe MP (Labour) explained that the validity period of New Zealand adult passports was reduced in 2005 to five years “because in the immediate aftermath of the horrific terrorist attacks on 9/11 it was decided that, based on the technology at the time, it was more secure for New Zealanders both travelling and at home that a five-year passport be introduced, because it was easier to control and its renewability meant that that could be future-proofed.” Improvements in security technology have justified the return to 10 years’ validity, said Hon. Peter Dunne MP (Leader, United Future), although “10 years is the longest validity period recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization, and there is good reason why New Zealand should not stray from these internationally agreed guidelines.” However, people under the age of 16 will still be required to have a five-year passport, which Mr David Clendon MP (Green Party) noted “is appropriate given the rapid changes in appearance and so on of people of that age.” Mr Brett Hudson MP (National) said he was “delighted to also see that we are making a change to increase the validity of refugee travel documents from two years to five years, because that aligns with the residency period for them to then seek permanent residency or citizenship.” Mr Mark Mitchell MP (National) agreed that “although they are a small part of our community here in New Zealand, they are an important part”. Mr Adrian Rurawhe MP (Labour) supported the legislation as being “all the things that I think every day, ordinary Kiwis will be happy to have as part of their application for a passport and for obtaining a passport.”
Returning Offenders (Management and Information) Bill The Returning Offenders (Management and Information) Bill was introduced on 17 November 2015, establishing a regime for the identification and management of offenders returning to New Zealand after having been sentenced to more than one year’s imprisonment in an overseas jurisdiction. The Bill was considered under urgency because of the imminent arrival of a number of New Zealand-born offenders scheduled for deportation from Australia following a recent law change giving Australian officials the power to cancel the visas of suspected or convicted criminals. The Minister of Justice, Hon. Amy Adams MP (National), explained the intent of the Bill as: “putting in place the same sort of oversight that offenders would have expected had they been released from a New Zealand prison.” Also speaking in support of the Bill, Ms Marama Fox MP (Co-Leader, Māori Party) noted that “although there are minor offences being caught up in this regime at the lower end of the threshold, we have not excused the fact and the point that there are actually serious offenders who are coming back to New Zealand, and we need to protect our country and our people and our society from the risk of reoffending.”
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Opposition Members were critical of the Government’s decision to pass the Bill under urgency. Mr Denis O’Rourke MP (New Zealand First) stated: “there are some parts of the bill that if this had been a select committee process rather than what we have got here tonight—a much more restricted process—I would be seeking to improve or change.” The Green Party abstained from voting, with Ms Metiria Turei MP (Co-Leader, Green Party) stating during the Third Reading: “There is broad agreement on the basic purpose. But the details—the law itself— could have been much better if the process had been more collaborative.” Ms Jacinda Ardern MP (Labour) raised the issue of the returning offenders’ lack of connection to New Zealand, noting that “for a large chunk of individuals, they are not returning home. They are being moved to an entirely new country, and that makes the job for New Zealand that much more difficult because the key to reintegrating an offender is their connection to community, their connection to a place to reside, their ability to work, and so on.” Mr David Shearer MP (Labour) also criticised the Bill’s lack of support for deportees, stating: “There is no plan in place to make sure that those people are reintegrated properly so they do not reoffend.”
Members also raised concerns about the nature of offending, with Ms Catherine Delahunty MP (Green Party) saying: “some people, after they have served their time, do not deserve to be called an offender for the rest of their lives. I think with regard to the distinction in the law here around criminals and offenders, I would prefer to see language that makes it clear what we are actually talking about.” The Bill passed its Third Reading with 107 votes in favour and 14 abstentions.
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