KEY POINTS:
National wants to lock up murderers who commit the worst of crimes for the rest of their lives, with no release, in a move which would effectively create a new degree of murder for judges to implement.
On the campaign trail in New Plymouth yesterday, National leader John Key unveiled the policy, which fits alongside one that had already been announced to give repeat violent offenders behind bars no chance of parole.
Mr Key said some particularly bad murderers may not have been covered by the first policy because they were first-time offenders.
"There is of course the possibility of somebody on their first offence committing such a heinous crime that we think it's appropriate they get life without parole," Mr Key said. "We think it will be applied to very few individuals but it's another tool in the toolbox for the judiciary."
National named law and order as one of the three biggest policy areas it wanted to target during the election campaign, alongside education and the economy.
It is clear the party senses it can win votes with a tough stance following a series of violent incidents in South Auckland in recent months, although Labour appears confident about its argument that an increase in violent offences in police statistics stems largely from more reporting of domestic violence.
Mr Key yesterday cited Mark Lundy and Bruce Howse as historical examples of the types of convicted murderers who would be affected by the new sentencing law if National won the election in just over a fortnight. Lundy killed his wife Christine and 7-year-old daughter Amber in 2000 in a frantic attack in Palmerston North and Howse murdered 12-year-old Saliel Aplin and 11-year-old Olympia Jetson in the Wairarapa a year later.
"It would be somebody, we would envisage, that would be responsible for multiple murders and potentially very, very serious offences," Mr Key said.
Locking up prisoners longer brings with it a financial cost to the Crown and Mr Key said the costs of the latest policy had been factored into National's earlier announcement which included the building of a new prison to house more offenders.
National's sentencing announcement also included a pledge to "substantially increase" penalties for causing the death of a child or where there was a clear history of abuse or neglect. Sentences for failing to provide the necessaries of life would also be increased, but National said it wanted to review the issue with officials before saying by how much they might rise.
The move affecting crimes against children came as the trial of those accused of abusing or killing toddler Nia Glassie continued. Mr Key said the announcement's timing had nothing to do with the trial, which happened to coincide with the election campaign.
National would also review home detention but keep it in some form and reverse recent changes to bail laws.
