English has got it wrong on hate-crime law, says Government

The Government has accused National leader Bill English of misinterpreting new sentencing law by saying it could allow the killers of Marcus Doig and John Vaughan to be treated less harshly than other murderers.

At National's northern regional conference on Sunday, Mr English said the new law imposing tougher sentences for the victims of "hate crimes" was not fair to victims who were "general public" New Zealanders.

Mr Doig and Mr Vaughan were shot dead in two robberies in Auckland this month.

Yesterday, a spokesman for Justice Minister Phil Goff said a so-called hate crime was one of a "dozen aggravating factors" a judge would take into account when sentencing.

He said at least four of the aggravating factors would apply to the murders of Mr Doig and Mr Vaughan. "So Mr English is ... misrepresenting the legislation," the spokesman said.

Mr English said the Government's sentencing law, passed by Parliament this month, created a new category of victim.

If a person was killed or assaulted because he or she was part of a group identified by religion, race or sexual orientation, an offender could be given a much harsher sentence.

Mr English told the conference that the new category of a hate crime was "political correctness gone mad".

"I wonder which group Labour think John Vaughan was part of; which group Marcus Doig was part of; which group the staff of the Mt Wellington RSA were part of."

- NZPA