The Minister of Justice's new sentencing and parole laws will not satisfy the public as the provisions will only apply
to our worst criminals and not to drug traffickers, career burglars and drivers who kill, National's Justice
spokesperson Dr Wayne Mapp said today.
"Today's proposed laws tabled in Parliament are a step in the right direction but what are the trade-offs? Phil Goff has
lost to Matt Robson on tougher parole laws for the likes of drug traffickers and career burglars. The preventive
detention provisions will still be difficult to apply in practice. There is no guarantee that a repeat offenders will be
automatically considered for preventive detention.
"Career burglars and drug traffickers will be eligible for parole at one-third of the way through their sentences. This
is not what the public expected from Mr Goff's tough pre-election stand.
"Over 90% of the public that supported the Withers' referendum will be disappointed. New Zealanders did not vote for the
Government to do only half the job with its tougher sentencing reforms. National will give this legislation the closest
possible scrutiny.
"Mr Goff has been providing mixed messages. For example, Mr Goff has endorsed the Law Commission's report that would see
radical changes to the laws of self-defence, changing the defence from imminent threats to inevitable threats. That
raises the spectre of pre-emptive killings and sends a weak signal to reducing violence.
"Today's announcement does not satisfy the public's referendum plea for tougher sentences. It is not good enough that
some serious criminals will be getting off lightly as a trade-off for toughening up on the most violent offenders," Dr
Mapp said.
Ends