Sentence good. Now do something about stopping crime

The record 33-year prison sentence imposed on William Bell today are proof that hysterical Opposition claims about new sentencing laws were wrong, Progressive MP Matt Robson said today.

"Act, National and NZ First made a living out of saying the new laws were soft, when they are far tougher than any sentence imposed when those parties were in power.

"Now it is obvious that the new Sentencing Act is producing tougher sentences, it is crucial to get on with early intervention programmes to ensure we don't keep creating the William Bells of this world.

"Serious violent offenders like that were created by the society that National, Act and NZ First built.

"It must be obvious that the prospect of a tougher sentence didn't stop William Bell. We need the sentence that has been imposed on him to protect the community, but we also need to do more to prevent people like him committing the awful crimes they do in the first place by adopting effective early intervention processes," Matt Robson said.

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