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Todd McClay, National MP
Gangs are criminal organisations who cause significant harm throughout New Zealand. They prey on our most vulnerable and are responsible for the drug trade and crime.
We've given the police more tools to deal with them including $500 million for more than1000 extra staff. I've always take a strong stand against gangs, including my gang patch ban, and I look forward to our police putting more of them in prison.
Te Ururoa Flavell, Waiariki MP and Maori Party co-leader
I don't think we have a gang problem, at least no worse than any other town.
No matter how much we talk about solutions to gangs, they will not go away. So we must work on ways to get them away from a particular lifestyle.
There are some who want to get away from that lifestyle so they should be given assistance. Gangs tend to be inter-generational, any move to support them and get them out of that lifestyle would also be inter-generational.
Fletcher Tabuteau, New Zealand First list MP
We have a Government that has prioritised a pretend surplus. The current Government has underfunded areas such as mental health and social services, all the while freezing funding to the police. This means intervention and prevention have been seriously compromised.
New Zealanders know you cannot neglect our most at risk. The true cost of National's supposed surplus is broken lives and broken families with young people struggling to find something or someone to belong to.
We cannot let gangs run rampant. They are thriving on P dealing and growing stronger. We must do everything we can to get rid of them completely.
Ben Sandford, Labour candidate for Rotorua
Gang violence has no place in Rotorua. Last year, Labour announced its policy to fund 1000 extra police officers and the resources they need to make our communities safer.
But tackling gang violence and influence stretches further than just the police. It is a reflection of what is happening in our wider community. It is no coincidence that crime is rising and our city now has the second-highest rate of homelessness in the country.
Tamati Coffey, Labour candidate for Waiariki
We will take a cross-sector approach to dealing with gang issues, not just the violence that stems from their activity, but also the crime and drug-related offending that ruins our whanau. Investing in more police to keep our streets safe is one way we will work to combat gang violence, as well as further resourcing those in our community who are already working hard to support those affected by gang-related activity.
As the crowd chanted, Seymour walked back into the Beehive with his MPs.