Jail only for the violent, says Peters

By Theresa Garner

WAIKANAE - Non-violent offenders would escape jail terms and serve their sentences planting trees in work camps under New Zealand First.

The party's plan to introduce work for petty criminals was announced yesterday as part of its law and order policy, targeting young offenders and calling for a campaign against lawlessness in a "crimeridden, violent society."

Party leader Winston Peters told a Waikanae Grey Power meeting that prisons should be only for people who are a physical danger to society and the rest should be out developing a work ethic.

"Don't give those louts taxpayer-funded accommodation that costs $60,000 a year each.

"Put them in work camps under supervision planting forests, building tracks or clearing scrub."

Mr Peters promised an extra 200 police on the beat and took a swipe at police hierarchy.

"Police bosses are not going to be sitting in ivory towers spending fortunes on dysfunctional computers while lone constables get beaten to death in back alleys in the middle of the night," he said.

Under NZ First there would be a compulsory register for all convicted paedophiles, dedicated traffic squads, greater use of electronic bracelets for home detention of non-violent offenders and increased use of mandatory minimum sentences for violent offenders, with no automatic rights to sentence reduction.

There would be community involvement in policing and citizens would have the power of arrest.

Mr Peters said victims' rights were paramount.

"For many years the Government has taken the soft option against bullies, thugs and cowards who prey on the defenceless in our society."

Youth criminals needed a tough-love approach and to be more accountable for their crimes, he said.

Under the traffic safety policy, anyone convicted of road rage would lose his or her licence and a "two strikes and you're out" policy for repeat drink-drivers would see those caught over the limit twice in two years lose their licence for five years.

Accident compensation insurers would be able to sue crash drunks.

And "hooning" would not be the same under an NZ First policy that would make it illegal to carry open cans of beer or other alcohol in cars.

Police spokesman Peter Brown said the policy would put a stop to a culture in which carloads of young people travel round with alcohol flowing freely among passengers.

Police had told the party they wanted such a law.

"If we could restrict the booze in cars and take it out of the driver's reach, then that is something positive," Mr Brown said.

Mr Peters also promised a review of the drinking age, which will drop to 18 next month.

One of NZ First's possible coalition partners, National's Minister of Police, Clem Simich, said work camps had failed overseas but he did not rule out looking at the idea.

"Every attempt is made to keep young people out of prison with alternative means of serving sentences. A lot of what's in his programme we are actually doing."