Police Minister Mark Mitchell believed there would be a heavy defence presence in the boot camps. Photo / Marty Melville
Police Minister Mark Mitchell believed there would be a heavy defence presence in the boot camps. Photo / Marty Melville
Police Minister Mark Mitchell claims official communication from a Defence Force adviser contradicting him about the nature of the Government’s boot camps for young criminals was incorrect and must have been written by someone who didn’t understand the Government’s intentions.
However, Mitchell himself appears to have contradicted the Prime Minister by saying the adviser’s assertion the Defence Force (NZDF) would only be involved in the boot camps at a governance level was “not accurate” and they would have “heavy Defence involvement”.
In his post-Cabinet press conference today, PM Christopher Luxon said the adviser’s assertion was a fair way to characterise NZDF’s involvement.
It comes following the release of the Defence briefing under the Official Information Act that revealed staff running a celebrated military base course had suffered serious mental distress, with some even suicidal, dealing with violent and at-risk youth.
The six-week Limited Service Volunteer (LSV) programme, the course referenced in the briefing, had been used to inform the Government’s development of the boot camps. Mitchell deemed it to be “very successful” in reducing reoffending and helping people secure employment.
RNZ today reported an adviser to the NZDF chief had emailed Defence Minister Judith Collins in March after public comments by Mitchell that the LSV programme and the boot camps – termed young offender military academies – were “exactly the same thing”.
The adviser said Mitchell’s comments were not accurate and listed several differences, including how the boot camps would last for 12 months and were for 14- to 17-year-old recidivist offenders instead of the 18- to 24-year-olds who joined the course voluntarily to help develop skills for employment purposes.
The boot camps would not be voluntary. Judges would soon have the ability to send criminal teenagers to the boot camps once they were running and the necessary legislation had been passed to afford them that power.
Speaking to the Herald today, Mitchell suspected the adviser who wrote the email didn’t understand the Government’s intentions, given the LSV programme had been used to develop the National Party’s policy.
“No, they didn’t understand the intent of what the incoming Government was trying to achieve.”
Defence Minister Judith Collins received the email in March. Photo / George Heard
The March email also included the adviser’s assertion NZDF was assisting with policy at a governance level only, not staffing facilities or delivering programmes.
Mitchell also said this was “not accurate” before referring specific questions about how the boot camps would be run to Children’s Minister Karen Chhour, who was in charge of the policy.
However, he added there were 30 NZDF personnel “actively involved in supporting this programme”, ranging from “back office” policy work through to delivering the programme “on the frontline”. Mitchell also said there would be a “heavy defence involvement” and he was confident NZDF now understood what role it would play.
That appeared to conflict with Luxon’s interpretation of the NZDF’s involvement. When asked if it was correct to say the NZDF would only be involved at a governance level and would not be delivering the programme, Luxon thought that was a “fair characterisation”.
Revelations 10 LSV staff had experienced significant mental distress as a result of their involvement in the course raised questions about whether it should be used to inform the development of the boot camps.
Mitchell, who said he had not been aware of the issue, believed it was important distressed staff were given timely support but he commended the “outstanding” NZDF personnel who had contributed to equipping young people with good values and skills.
A boot camp pilot was expected to start this month in Palmerston North comprising 10 teenagers already in youth justice residences.
Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.
