Press Release From Lynne Pillay – MP For Waitakere

Dated 30 July 2007 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Point Scoring May Affect Victims' Rights Enquiry

Political point-scoring by National MPs may affect a Government enquiry into victims’ rights, Waitakere MP Lynne Pillay says.

The three National party members of the Justice and Electoral Select Committee Chris Finlayson, Chris Auchinvole and Nicky Wagner, have pulled out of a planned visit to Australia just days before the Committee’s planned departure.

The Committee is to meet with a number of agencies in Victoria, including the Department of Justice’s Victim Support Agency and the Victoria Police (Victims Advisory Unit), over a four day period. The Committee also plans to visit a number of groups working in electoral law and is scheduled to meet with two Select Committees of the Victorian parliament.

“I know my Labour colleagues Ann Hartley and Charles Chauvel, and I am sure other members of the Committee, are very disheartened that the National members have chosen to pull out of the trip at this late stage – especially as we learned of their withdrawal from members of the media. It’s particularly disappointing as the Justice and Electoral Select Committee was selected to go on this visit on the basis of its work programme relating to victims’ rights, local justice initiatives and electoral law. A full Committee visit to Victoria would have been productive and addressed issues important to most New Zealanders”, Ms Pillay says.

The programme, along with the agencies to be visited, was discussed by Committee members and agreed to some time ago.
The itinerary was arranged by the Select Committee clerk’s officer in New Zealand and officials in Australia.

“It is very disappointing that politics has come into play over very important issues for New Zealand, as well as maintaining good relationships and knowledge sharing with our colleagues over the Tasman”, she says.

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