KEY POINTS:
National's victim compensation fund would probably only give out about $2 million to $3 million a year as many criminals would not pay, Justice Minister Annette King says.
National said yesterday it would levy all offenders $50 at sentencing and would put the money into a scheme to compensate victims.
Party leader John Key said the amount of the levy would not change regardless of whether it was a serious crime or a traffic offence and would be a one-off payment for the conviction at sentencing.
The money would help victims with one-off expenses not covered by ACC or other state help, such as travel to court and additional counselling.
With about 100,000 people estimated to be convicted next year, the fund would receive about $5 million, he said.
But Ms King today said large numbers of criminals would not pay.
That coupled with the scheme's administration costs meant there would only be about $2 million to $3 million a year to give out, meaning the scheme was nothing more than a gimmick.
"It will be nowhere near $5 million once you take off those who don't pay, those who can't pay and the administration cost of it," she said on Radio New Zealand.
National would get better results from boosting the funding for victims services such as Victim Support.
Ms King said the Government had requested the Law Commission to look at proper victim compensation schemes.
It had also this year provided a $5.8 million boost in funding for Victim Support and $1.7 million for a victims' information service
But National's justice spokesman Simon Power said the levy would be prioritised alongside reparation, meaning it would be paid first ahead of any fines.
He believed the majority of criminals would pay, despite offenders currently owing $73.6 million in reparation.
"It is a small start but it's a start," he said on Radio New Zealand.
"Most importantly, it's a start that's funded by the offenders who commit the crime, not by the taxpayer."
Victim Support yesterday said it was disappointed state-funded reparation was not specifically addressed in National's policy but would continue to work with all parties to bring it about.
The nine-page "victims' rights" policy includes five points:
* The $50 levy on all convicted offenders "to assist with expenses faced by victims of serious crimes that are not covered by ACC or other state help. This could extend to help with travel to court and Parole Board hearings, additional counselling, etc".
* Confiscate any compensation paid to prisoners for abuse or unfair treatment in prison and divert the money to the general victims' expenses fund if not claimed by individual victims under an existing 2005 law. Only $19,961 out of $35,082 paid to prisoners since 2005 has been claimed by the prisoners' individual victims.
* A new Victims Services Centre in the Justice Ministry to co-ordinate victim services.
* Upgrade the victim notification register, used to notify victims when offenders come up for parole or other changes. National would create the option of a "silent" register simply recording victims' contact details so that agencies can take them into account in decisions, but not actively notify them of developments.
* Review the Victims' Rights Act 2002 to strengthen the ability to make a victim impact statement without censorship, extend victims' rights to be heard in the Youth Court and increase information to victims.
- NZPA
