Dear John,

Law and Order

We’re working hard to hold the Government to account and ensure New Zealand remains a safe place to live, work and raise a family.

To National, that means making sure victims are at the heart of our justice system, offenders are held to account for their actions, and social investment is used to tackle the long-term drivers of crime.

To Labour, that means giving $2.75 million to the Mongrel Mob.

As Minister of Police twice under a National-led government, you know that I back our frontline Police and Corrections Officers to do their job using whatever tools they need to do it.

I was astounded to hear the current Labour Minister of Police say publicly that the Police and their safety on the job were not her priority.

In the face of rising concern about support for the Police and maintaining law and order my National colleagues and I would bring in these measures:

• New Firearm Protection Orders with new search powers and ability to seize illegal guns from gangs.
• Bring back Armed Response Teams.
• Create new criminal offences for violent gang crime and toughen up sentences.
• Ban on gang insignia in public places.
• Enact Legislation that stops public funding for gangs and requires gangs to prove income is legitimate.

Why is our Police Minister trying to withhold the most recent gang numbers? Is it because gang numbers have increased by 50 per cent under the Labour government? Why is the Police Minister not replying to the questions that Simeon Brown our National spokesperson for Police is asking around this topic? It is a matter of great importance to the New Zealand public that they can rely on the Minister of Police to protect the Police and uphold law and order for everyone.

Covid-19 Vaccinations

The COVID-19 Response Minister has revealed in written parliamentary questions from National MP Chris Bishop that the Government made its first purchase order with Pfizer on January 29, for 65,520 doses.  This was over three months after the Minister signed an advance purchase agreement with Pfizer.

Why did it take so long to get the Pfizer vaccine approved here? Why didn’t the Minister order as many doses as possible and get Medsafe to approve the vaccine use in New Zealand as quickly as possible?

As we know now, New Zealand's vaccine rollout is the slowest in the developed world, with just 29.12 doses per 100 people administered, well behind Australia with 39.49, Colombia with 46.16 and Turkey with 75.21. The newly introduced mass vaccination events are not a huge success and many people with appointments are simply not showing up.

Around 10 percent of our population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, so as a country we remain at serious risk of an outbreak of community transmission if the Delta strain makes it through our border. Let’s hope it does not.

Demand the Debate on Homelessness

National has just released the fifth issue in our Demand the Debate campaign, this time on homelessness. Kiwis deserve the debate on the Labour Government’s decision to spend $1 million a day on motels to house the homeless.
Now that the Government has purchased a motel in the heart of Rotorua for $8.1 million, almost double its estimated value, New Zealander taxpayers have a right to know how many motels the Government plans to purchase and where.

Surely the hundreds of millions Labour will spend on motels to house the homeless this year would be better spent on building safe, long term houses for these families that include 4,000 children.

Labour claims it has built 8,000 new state houses but more than half have been bought or leased from the private market in competition with first-home buyers and renters.

National is proposing an alternative solution to the housing shortage that will urgently address the country’s land supply problem and help councils fund the required infrastructure.

The Judith Collins’ Emergency Response (Urgent Measures) Member’s Bill will put in place emergency powers similar to those used to speed up house building in Canterbury following the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes.

National would require all urban councils to immediately zone more land for housing – enough for at least 30 years of expected growth.

The Resource Management Act (RMA) appeals process would be limited to ensure new district plans can be completed and put in place rapidly.

We would reverse the government’s Interest Deductibility & Bright-line test changes.

National is the party of home ownership. We are committed to sensible solutions that will get more New Zealanders into their own home without hitting them with more taxes. And we have the people, the will and the experience to make it happen.

I am really pleased that our Demand the Debate campaign is working and people are starting to ask the hard questions of the government and to demand performance on many issues. My National Opposition will continue to put the pressure on them for action that will make a positive difference to us all especially housing, law and order, transport, health and education.

Best wishes,

Judith

Hon Judith Collins
http://judithcollins.national.org.nz/