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Hi Friend,
This week has been a big one for law and order in
New Zealand. I have been proud to stand alongside Winston Peters to
announce some significant changes to legislation in order to
reintroduce criminals to a little thing called 'consequences'. New
Zealand First has always understood that feeling safe is a fundamental
right and that responsible governments put the needs of
victims at the centre of the justice system, not
offenders.
It is hard to convey just how bad things were when we took over in
2023. Labour had made it their mission to empty our prisons and
without New Zealand First as a voice of reason, they accelerated their
plan after the 2020 election.
But as the prison population plummeted, the number of victims of
crime was increasing at an alarming rate. Who could have foreseen
that? Well, Winston Peters, for one. That's why New
Zealand First halted Labour's attempt to repeal the Three Strikes Law
in 2018, for example.
At the last election we campaigned hard on our law and order
policies and Kiwis put their trust in us to restore justice. This week
has been a great example of just how we are doing that.
But we need your support to continue this vital
work. A donation today will ensure that we have the best
chance of being back in Government next year to continue our work
dismantling Labour's criminal paradise and putting the teeth back in
our justice system.
Quite rightly, Kiwis have been outraged at the degree to which
sentencing discounts have been doled out to offenders in recent years.
We heard your calls for serious
sentences and just a few days ago our sentencing
reforms took effect.
Good governments, who care about the safety and wellbeing of their
people, take action to ensure that offenders face proper consequences.
They are tough on crime and do not make endless excuses for people
doing huge amounts of harm.
That is why our legislation caps the sentence
discounts that judges can apply at 40%,
prevents repeat discounts for youth and remorse,
introduces new aggravating factors, encourages the
use of cumulative sentencing for offences committed
while on bail, in custody, or on parole, a maximum discount of
25% for early guilty pleas, and adds a new principle to
sentencing to take into account victims
interests.
We are delivering the kind of tough, no-nonsense law and
order reform that Kiwis have been demanding for years.
Let’s be clear: New Zealand First’s relentless approach to law and
order is bringing an end to the era of weak policies and soft-on-crime
approaches. We are taking action, and we are putting the
criminals on notice.
If you, too, want a New Zealand where victims of crime can expect
proper justice and criminals can expect consequences, please consider chipping in to New Zealand First's
Commonsense Fund.
As someone who’s spent years on the frontlines as a police officer,
I’ve seen how weak laws and lack of action have made our
streets more dangerous. I’ve seen how criminals have been
emboldened, how first responders have been left vulnerable, and how
victims have been ignored. That’s why New Zealand First doesn't shy
away from making sure that our law and order policies are as tough as
they need to be.
NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS
This week, Winston and I, along with Justice Minister Paul
Goldsmith, have made some important announcements about upcoming
legislation to make New Zealand safer.
First of all, we are bringing
in harsher penalties for violence against first
responders. We don't accept that those who show up
when we call 111 should have to face the amount of violence that they
do each and everyday.
These brave men and women put their lives on the line to keep us
safe. We owe them more than lip service; they deserve the full
protection of the law, and New Zealand First is making sure
they get it. Depending on the severity, assaults on first responders
will now have max sentences of 3, 5, and 7 years.
We’re also calling out the
"Coward’s Punch" for what it is: a heinous, gutless
act that ruins and ends lives. New Zealand First has ensured that this
attack will be a specific criminal offence,
delivering on a coalition agreement promise.
This policy has been a New Zealand First staple. It is
extraordinary that previous governments resisted our calls for a
Coward's Punch law, but we finally got it over the line with our
partners in this Coalition Government.
Anyone who
delivers a Coward’s Punch will face the full force of the
law. We’re taking a stand for the victims, and we’re making
sure that those who commit these senseless attacks feel the full
weight of justice. These specific offences will attract maximum
sentences of 8 years in the case of reckless disregard for safety and
15 years for intent to cause grievous bodily harm. A culpable homicide
conviction will, of course, result in a maximum of a life
sentence.
Under Labour we saw shoplifting become normalised.
Suddenly there was a flood of brazen criminals pushing trolleys full
of unpaid-for groceries out of supermarkets and ram-raiding corner
dairies. You'll have noticed ram raids are well down since our
Government reintroduced the concept of consequences to
lawbreakers.
However, we have a way to go in terms of unwinding the weak and
permissive crime environment Labour created. That is why we are introducing a new fine system
to ensure that even so-called "low level" shoplifting is effectively
punished. Infringements fees
will start at $500.
We’ve drawn a line in the sand: steal, and you’ll
pay. No more free passes. This is about sending a message
that if you break the law, you will face the consequences.
It has been a fantastic week of announcements and we are thrilled
to be able to deliver on the law and order policies New Zealand First
supporters have been calling for. This is what it is all about.
But we can’t do it without you. Donate today to join
the wave of momentum driving support for these common sense
policies.
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