After six years in power, Labour has finally accepted that its soft-on-crime approach has failed, National’s Justice spokesperson Paul Goldsmith says.

“Chris Hipkins has admitted that the Labour Government’s actions have failed to deal with the most serious and repeat retail offenders, who are responsible for many of the ram raids that are being inflicted on Kiwi communities.

“The Prime Minister blamed society: it’s not society’s fault. We need to restore personal responsibility and end Labour’s culture of excuses.

“Since the Government announced its retail crime prevention fund at the end of May last year, there have been nearly 1,000 ram raids on retailers to the end of May this year.

“Despite this prolific offending, it has taken until now – and three months before an election – for Labour to take further action that will keep Kiwis safer.

“Just weeks ago, Justice Minister Kiri Allan said that tightening up sentencing laws would lead to more victims, but has now agreed that tougher sentencing laws are exactly what New Zealanders want.

“Victims of crime who have been calling for tougher consequences will see this last-minute announcement for what it is – a desperate attempt to look tough.”

National has proposed an extensive list of policies to tackle the wave of retail offending:

A National government will:

• Introduce a Young Serious Offender (YSO) category to increase consequences for repeat offenders.
• Set up Young Offender Military Academies where YSOs can be sent for up to 12 months for intensive rehabilitation.
• Invest in community organisations to work with YSOs and support their families.
• Make filming and publishing a crime an offender is involved in an aggravating factor in the Sentencing Act.
• Introduce stronger sentences for convicted criminals by limiting the amount of discounts that judges can impose.

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