The law and order policies of the eight parties in Parliament are compared in the table below.
The Herald is covering all the major policy areas in a series running throughout the election campaign.
| Party | Policy | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | A continuation of improved resourcing for police. A continued toughening stance against organised crime gangs, with legislation already in train including long-awaited law to make it easier to seize assets from criminals. Will maintain long sentences for those who commit serious offences. Wants to put more emphasis on fighting causes, including early-intervention with children. | |
| National | A victims' compensation scheme funded by a $50 levy on all offenders. A victims service centre to co-ordinate work with victims. Strengthened laws on gangs, including making membership an aggravating feature in sentencing. Boot camp for youth offenders. Require DNA samples to be taken from all those arrested for offences punishable with imprisonment. No parole for worst repeat offenders. Repeat murderers kept in jail until they die. | |
| NZ First | Outlawing gangs is on its must-do list in any coalition negotiations. Aim to double the police, and will negotiate for another substantial increase. Lower the age of criminal responsibility to 12. Separate traffic from police. Abolish parole altogether. End concurrent sentencing, have only cumulative. Repatriation of immigrant offenders to serve sentence in homeland upon conviction. | |
| Greens | Rehabilitation for prisoners, especially when they first access the system. Vital to get to them early, as high percentage of prisoners have a drug and alcohol problem and/or mental health issues. Restorative justice for victims is the only victim-focused system available. Needs to be better resourced and those involved must have better training. | |
| Maori Party | Decrease imprisonment as priority response to offending. Restorative justice system to bolster community relationships, reduce crime, empower victims, enhance community involvement and restore mana of offenders. Focus on decreasing Maori offending and victimisation. Adopt policies driven by a "Genuine Progress Index" - such as closing rather than opening prisons. | |
| United Future | Make communities safer by, for example, bringing back beat cops for every neighbourhood. Early intervention with school character education programme, anti-bullying strategies, targeting truancy and business mentors for at-risk youth. "No crime too small" backed up by rapid response to clean up graffiti. Wants a multi-party accord on crime with aim of shifting political debate to issues of fact. | |
| Act | Zero-tolerance "broken windows" policing. No finger-wagging - vandalism, graffiti or chundering during night out at Viaduct will result in arrest. Truth in sentencing: 10 years means 10 years. A "three strikes you're out" policy for serious offences from murder down to serious assault. First strike you do the time as sentenced. Second strike you serve the maximum for the offence (judge has no discretion). Third strike - 25 years to life. | |
| Progressive | Early intervention. Intervene even before birth by educating potential young mothers of benefits of delaying birth. Support at-risk young mothers. Identify potential young offenders when they enter school. Early intervention cheaper and more effective than later. Send teenage offenders to day reporting centres that are compulsory five days a week for six months; might be accompanied by night curfews and electronic monitoring. Put drinking age back up to 20. | |
