Three Strikes Spells More Trouble for Labour

9th June 2015

With the five year anniversary of “three strikes” (3S), the Sensible Sentencing trust set up a poll on its website [ www.sst.org.nz] to get some feel for voters’ reaction to Labour who say they “want the three strikes law gone”. A healthy majority of people disagree strongly with that sentiment. Four hundred and sixty eligible voters responded to this question:

“Labour has said they want to repeal the three strikes law relating to repeat violent or sexual offenders. How would this influence your support for Labour?”

“We were not at all surprised to find 65% of people saying they were ‘much less likely’ to support Labour as a result of this crazy ideological stand which goes against all the evidence suggesting three strikes is working well” said Sensible Sentencing ‘three strikes’ spokesman David Garrett. Garrett was responsible for driving the law through parliament in 2010.

“5400 serious violent offenders have stood in the dock and received a first strike sentence – and a solemn warning from a Judge of the consequences of their continued offending. Thus far only 76 have disregarded that warning and offended again – some of them while serving a sentence for their first strike offence, or even while on bail awaiting sentence” Garrett said.

“ The cold hard fact is 76 serious violent offenders indicated they have no regard for the law, and by committing a further offence or offences, indicated that they also have no regard for others rights. They are a serious risk to the safety of all of us, and these are the very people that Labour wants to see back on the street” Garrett said.

“Make no mistake about it – prior to three strikes most of those 76 would have received just another slap on the wrist, and be out on parole in something over half the time the Judge gave them. As a result of 3S, most of those 76 are behind bars, serving a sentence without parole. Ordinary people – the people Labour claims to represent – are very happy that is the case. At best, Labour doesn’t care if offenders like this go on hurting people” said Garrett

“They talk about ‘diverting criminals from their path by other means’, but they have no suggestions how that might happen other than vague references to rehabilitation. People can see Labour’s policy cupboard is bare” Garrett said.

“Labour is blindly opposed to 3S for ideological reasons, and nothing else. If they take an objective look at the statistics, and leave the ideology aside, they cannot possibly advocate repeal of a law which is working well, catching only the people it was intended to catch, and above all, making New Zealand a safer place.”

“If Labour want to be a credible government, and persuade the 65% of people who won’t vote for them with stupid policies like this, they are going to have to get their act together” said Garrett

“We will meet with Labour anywhere any time to discuss how three strikes is working, and any concerns they have. The ball is in their court”

ENDS

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