Editorial: Scoring political points

Northland National Party MP Mike Sabin. Photo / John Stone

I am noticing a trend in political point-scoring when it comes to putting out ideas that appear to be eminently practical.

Of particular unease to me is the member's bill to Parliament by Northland National MP, Mike Sabin, an ex-copper, which would allow the courts to impose conditions on the guardians of young offenders, not just the young offenders themselves.

The Sensible Sentencing Trust has applauded the concept which, for me, is enough to feel unease already. I get what Mr Sabin is on about, I really do. His argument is that it is the parents or guardians who let the young people down. If a young offender is bailed to a particular address, you would hope the conditions at that address would be conducive to his or her sentence.

You would hope the youngster didn't slip into bad habits, because there are wild parties going on every second night. You would hope the "hosts" would be genuinely responsible.

But I think it is going a step too far to impose restrictions and rules on innocent parties. While an offender is answerable to the courts and the probation service, those hosting the offender are not. Their lives are their own and I would think it would be a breach of their civil liberties to have a judge impose conditions on them, when they have committed no crime.

The whole purpose of community detention or home detention is to provide an alternative to prison in situations where the crime and the circumstances do not necessarily warrant the absolutes of prison.

But a host family can veto the idea. They can say: We are not interested in supporting our son or daughter at home. And I suspect, if the hosts were to get slapped with bail conditions, they would say: Stuff it, we're not taking the risk.

The other statement to win practical hearts is that of Conservative Party leader Colin Craig, saying he smacks his kids.

It's blatant point-scoring, to start the groundwork for the party's hoped-for placing in government, at a time when the public are in the market for something that trends as "sensible".

Andrew Bonallack is the editor for Wairarapa Times-Age.