Key will consider Act's burglary policy proposal

Prime Minister John Key says he will consider the Act Party's proposal to make burglary a three-strikes offence.

The policy, announced over the weekend by new Act leader Jamie Whyte, would create a separate regime to the existing three-strikes law, which applies to serious violent crimes.

Under that regime, also an Act policy, judges are required to sentence offenders who commit a third violent crime to the maximum sentence without parole.

Mr Key told TVNZ's Breakfast today he would look at the three-strikes burglary proposal.

"We'd have to have a look at all the implications of that - ultimately how much would that cost, what would that mean, what sort of burglaries should be included, over what time period. I haven't had a really good look at those details.

"But there is certainly plenty of frustration out there in the community about serial burglaries and burglars, and they want something done about it. But whether that's the right step, I don't know."

Mr Key said law and order was an important issue to both National and Act.