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National

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Law and Order

Law-abiding people have a right to expect to be safe from those who prey on them, their families, and the wider community. As a society, we seem to have lost the confidence to defend ourselves, to stand up and defend our core values. For too long, lawmakers have been soft on crime. National will change that. We will launch an all-out assault on crime in our communities – on crime of all kinds. We should be safe in our homes and on our streets, and our kids should be able to walk home safely from school.

National will:

Abolish parole for all violent and repeat criminals
The current parole system thwarts the intention of Parliament and undermines the work of judges, who are giving sentences that everyone knows will never be served. Of all those released from jail, around 40% will be re-convicted within one year and more than 55% will be re-convicted within two years. And an astounding 86% will be caught re-offending within 5 years.

Those who are sentenced to imprisonment should serve their time, and National will ensure that happens. In recent years, New Zealand’s bail, sentencing and parole policies have developed something that is much more akin to a charter of prisoners' rights than a serious criminal justice code. Labour's liberal early release policy allows career criminals to apply for parole after only one-third of their sentence.

Boost frontline police numbers
It is idle to expect a meaningful difference can be made to law enforcement without addressing the issue of police resources. National will do that. People no longer feel safe on our streets, let alone in their own homes. Our 111 system is failing, the methamphetamine epidemic is reaching frightening proportions, and often it takes police two days to attend a burglary. National will boost sworn staff numbers. We will work with the Police Commissioner to determine what is needed.

Focus on early intervention for at-risk youth
We need to deal firmly with young offenders so they are under no illusion: anti-social behaviour is unacceptable. We will deal compassionately with young first offenders, but will reduce the age of criminal responsibility from 14 years to 12, and will move offenders from the children’s system to the Youth Court after two family conferences. New parenting orders will support parents of young offenders to learn skills to deal with their children, including parenting courses and maintenance of curfews, and school attendance.

Change the emphasis of policing from revenue gathering to violent crime
Labour is using police officers as mobile cash registers. Last year police officers issued a record 395,912 speeding tickets, compared with 137,427 in 2000. And while they are watching the roads the response times to get to emergencies and serious assaults are getting worse, and it takes two days to attend many burglaries.

Take DNA from all convicted criminals
DNA testing can make a huge contribution to solving crime by helping police target criminals committing most of the crime. At present, we add to the DNA database only samples from those convicted of offences generally attracting sentences of more than seven years. Under National, every person arrested will be DNA tested. If they are convicted, their DNA will be added to the database. If they are not charged or are acquitted, the sample will be destroyed.

Amend the Proceeds of Crime Act to target the economic base of organised crime
The Police need help in smashing the gangs involved in organised crime, particularly methamphetamine manufacture and distribution. We need to take the profit out of crime. Central to this, National will toughen the Proceeds of Crime Act to give police the ability to apply to a judge for approval to investigate the assets of people suspected of involvement in gang-related organised crime and of convicted criminals who cannot prove their assets were legally obtained.

Strengthen criminal non-association laws
The weakness in our processes and lack of commitment to enforcement send precisely the wrong message to the gangs that dominate the production and distribution of hard drugs. National will push through tougher criminal non-association laws.

Ensure criminals cannot get compensation for “hurt feelings” or supposed maltreatment while in prison
Prisoners lose many rights when they are put into prison, and National believes one of those rights is the right to sue for such things as “hurt feelings” and maltreatment. It is abhorrent that while their victims and their families continue to suffer, criminals can get compensation by suing the government. Labour has introduced a law where victims can get access to a prisoner’s compensation but will have to relive their ordeal to do so. This is not justice, and in many cases prisoners will still collect the cash. Not only will victims have to revisit some of their worst nightmares, their applications will be forwarded to the offender for a response. National will stop, block, and wipe such compensation and make it retrospective where necessary.

Ensure greater use of preventive detention for violent repeat offenders
If we are serious about making a difference to the character of our society, we must acknowledge the fact that we now have a class of serious repeat offenders who know no respect for other members of the community, and whose actions leave us with but one sensible choice: to lock them up and throw away the key.

This is the point where preventive detention is the only solution, and we must use it more proactively. These 'career criminals' should be spending most of their lives in jail. They shouldn’t get bail. And they certainly shouldn’t get parole or early release.

Introduce post-release monitoring with tough sanctions
The one certainty about prison is that most prisoners will eventually be released, so we must do more to manage the return of inmates into our community. The best way to stop re-offending is to enforce post-release monitoring by way of a "prison to work" policy. We need a system that works with inmates several months before their release: sorting out their future accommodation, trying to find a job, and dealing with any family issues, so that when they are released they have somewhere to go and something to do. For first-time, low level, non-violent inmates National will also consider giving a small discount for time served for good behaviour with intensive supervision and surveillance.

Justice

An independent and efficient legal system is a cornerstone of democracy. The essential characteristics of the rule of law include the supremacy of law. That means everyone (including the Prime Minister) is subject to the law. It also requires a system of justice emphasising adjudication, law based on standards, and the importance of procedures. New Zealand’s legal system is not working as well as it should, and reform is needed.

National will:

• Make the civil litigation system more efficient and effective by reducing court fees and simplifying and standardising court procedures.
• Ensure that most trials take place within six months of charges being laid.
• Restructure the Family Court to ensure it is open to greater scrutiny.
• Require the Law Commission to undertake practical law reform projects.
• Take steps to ensure the legal aid system is not abused.