Hon Paul Goldsmith
Minister of Justice
Hon Nicole McKee
Associate Minister of Justice

The Government has appointed four members to the Ministerial Advisory Group for victims of retail crime, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee say.

“I am delighted to appoint Michael Hill’s national retail manager Michael Bell to the group, as well as Waikato community advocate and business leader Ash Parmar, Foodstuffs’ North Island retail and property general manager Lindsay Rowles, and Chief Executive Officer of Retail NZ Carolyn Young,” Mr Goldsmith says.

“The group, led by Sunny Kaushal, can now move at pace to table proposed legislation for the Government to consider as part of its plan to restore law and order.

“I’m particularly interested to see some options on how security guards and business owners can better protect themselves.

“We are committed to ensuring there are 20,000 fewer victims of violent crime by 2029 and reducing serious repeat youth offending by 15 percent.”

“I am pleased the targeted expression-of-interest process attracted a range of high-calibre individuals who are committed to making New Zealand a safer place for our retailers and their workers,” Mrs McKee says.

“New Zealand has seen an exponential growth in retail crime over the past five years, with an 86 per cent increase in retail crime of all types and, very concerningly, a 72 per cent increase in sexual assault-related offences at retail locations.

“Around 230,000 New Zealanders work in the retail sector, with increasing numbers experiencing the personal and economic impacts of violent and theft-related crimes.”

© Scoop Media