Hon Judith Collins
MP for Papakura

Collins' Comments: 23 November 2015

I would like to join with our Prime Minister John Key in condemning last week’s terrorist attacks in Paris, and expressing my heartfelt condolences to the French people.

I would like to join with our Prime Minister John Key in condemning last week’s terrorist attacks in Paris, and expressing my heartfelt condolences to the French people.

By striking at ordinary people doing ordinary things that people in free societies do – from attending concerts, to going to restaurants – the terrorists have tried to undermine the trust and confidence that Parisians have in their government, in their security agencies and in their way of life.

For some years, our government and others have suffered hack-attacks and undermining of our security agencies. New Zealand’s Government Security Communications Bureau (GCSB) has been most in the headlines and under attack from people of the likes of Edward Snowden – who turned traitor against the United States and then sought refuge in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. People like that and those in the media and politics who have worked against our security agencies have helped to undermine the very people whose job it is to try to keep us all safe. New Zealand is not immune.

We are very fortunate that we are part of the “Five Eyes” arrangement that allows our security agencies to access the sort of intelligence that larger, better equipped countries like the US and the UK have. I have no doubt, that if we were not part of that arrangement, then New Zealand would be forced to spend considerably more of our GDP on security and we would be significantly less secure. We are fortunate to not have shared land borders but given the concerns that have recently been highlighted, of extremist elements already in New Zealand, the dedicated men and women in our security agencies need our support.

Youth Fund Awards 2016

The Youth Fund award is for projects responding to a need in the community as identified by youth. Projects are led by individuals or groups of young people aged 12 to 24 years old or organisations who work in partnership with young people.

The 2016 awards were announced last week and the Samoan Congregational Christian Church of New Zealand Mangere Trust that works out of Papakura was awarded $2000.

This money will support the leadership camp that is run, designed, led and evaluated by young people in Papakura. The programme includes life skills and career development skills and connects young people to the community through volunteering opportunities.

I heartily congratulate this amazing youth group and my best wishes to them when they run their camp in 2016.

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