Murder touches close to home of Bill English

By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter

Bill English became choked up at a public meeting in Waikanae yesterday when speaking about the murder of Margaret-Lynne Baxter.

She was raped and murdered by a man who had first run her down in his car while she was out jogging near Hastings in January last year.

Ms Baxter was a school friend of Mr English's wife, Mary.

Mr English said he had been shocked during the Sky television special last week when a man asked what sentence he would want if someone murdered his wife.

Mr English said yesterday he would have wanted the offender locked up for the rest of his or her life.

Then he recalled the shocking murder of Margaret-Lynne Baxter.

"I know some people who know her, knew her," he said, pausing for composure " ... and it brings it home to you when you think of the people ... when you think of the people who knew her; were brought up with her.

"That's why politicians have to listen to that stuff because it makes victims of so many people - families, friends, people who hadn't seen them for a long time but knew them, like in Margaret-Lynne's case, my wife.

"Why did Labour pass a law reducing the proportion of sentence that a violent criminal has to serve?

"What kind of an understanding is that about the anxiety in the community about the rising tide of violent crime?"

In answer to a question from the audience about the effect of violence on television, Mr English said he did not believe it had much effect on sensible and stable children.

And ultimately it was a matter for parents, he said.

"The Government cannot replace the parents."

But worse than television were computer games.

In his household of six children he and Dr English had banned computer games where any character was killed.

That amounted to about 80 per cent of computer games.

Most lately banned was a game in which a car ploughed down a road, knocking over pedestrians.

Mr English also visited Paraparaumu College, where he spoke to senior staff and a few senior students about industrial action facing secondary schools.

Today he will teach a fifth-form English class (level one National Certificate of Educational Achievement) at Taita College.

He has a BA honours degree in English literature.

Full news coverage:
nzherald.co.nz/election

Election links:
The parties, policies, voting information, and more

Ask a politician:
Send us a question, on any topic, addressed to any party leader. We'll choose the best questions to put to the leaders, and publish the answers in our election coverage.