Local Focus: Is the law out of order? Waiariki candidates talk about crime and Māori in prison

"The system is racist towards Māori and that needs to be addressed," says Māori Party candidate Rawiri Waititi when asked if law and order has gone too far in New Zealand.

In this Local Focus election video, he said incarceration didn't work for Māori and other avenues like rehabilitation, needed to be explored.

Labour candidate Tamati Coffey said New Zealand was going too far with law and order under the previous National government, which wanted to privatise the prison system.

"We said when we came into Government, we were going to reduce the prison population and we've done it and we're gong to continue to do it with good strategy."

Meanwhile, Vision NZ leader Hannah Tamaki seems to be playing catch-up acknowledging the system is biased.

"I actually think there's more Māori incarcerated than Europeans so I think the justice system is a little bit biased towards Māori."

Also standing in the Waiariki electorate:
• Rawiri Te Kowhai for the Outdoors Party
• Riki Broughton for the New Conservatives
• Ema Williams for Advance NZ.

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