Simon Power MP
National Party Justice & Corrections Spokesman
25 November 2007
Goff should intervene on Corrections bungle
National Party Justice & Corrections spokesman Simon Power says Phil Goff should make it his personal mission to make sure victims are given
more input into the parole process in light of the latest departmental bungle.
“Five years ago the Corrections Minister faced a similar case and promised to improve the process. We now know that
whatever Labour has done, it hasn’t worked.”
Mr Power is responding to reports of a murderer who was paroled to live next door to the daughter of the woman he
killed.
According to the reports, the woman’s family believed he was not to be released within a 50km radius of the woman or her
family.
Mr Power says the system has again failed the victims of crime.
“In early 2003, Justice Minister Phil Goff was making excuses for a similar blunder. **
“Mr Goff said that new laws would make that sort of mistake a thing of the past, and that the parole board would be
forced to become more open with victims.
“So what has gone wrong? Given Mr Goff’s strong assurances, he should make it a personal mission to fix the system.”
Ends