Gangs are bad. Crime is not?
Let’s ask this question again – is crime bad and if so, when? Is association with criminals problematic, if so when?
Social issues
law
Let’s talk gangs
Sir Peter Gluckman was John Key’s Chief Science Advisor. He said some of the most important factors to prevent youth crime was alleviating poverty and keeping people out of incarceration.
Government makes Move On Orders Bill less shit
This week the Government reluctantly reversed its intent to allow homeless teenagers to be prosecuted if they did not move to somewhere less safe when required to move on by police.
Hate speech laws threaten free speech – Keith Locke memorial debate 2026
The second Keith Locke memorial debate was held in Auckland on the 2nd. There is a live stream of the debate on youtube, linked here.
Where the Fight Against the DSS Bill Now Stands
On Thursday, Victoria Coleman handed over a petition at Parliament calling for the Disability Support Services Bill to be scrapped — 16,458 signatures got in five weeks while she cares full-time for her seven-year-old son Levi. Campaigning on top of that responsibility tells you whats at stake for thousands.
More fishy than a bait shop
Christopher Luxon has implied that a junior staffer met major polluters and received submissions urging him to sink Mike Smith’s bid to hold them to account which were then hidden. But it was his Chief Policy Advisor.
The absurdity of the Move on Orders law
Paul Goldsmith’s move on orders bill applies to young people aged 14 even though existing legislation provides police with all the powers they need to deal with homeless young people.
Who’s best on Foreign Affairs?
When Ambassador Chen Mingming sent Zhang Wei in 2005 to ask me whether Winston Peters would follow government policy, I said I didn’t know but would ask. I did, and he did.
TVNZ Board Chair Andrew Barclay pro-actively reached out to Paul Goldsmith on 1News Gang Story
TVNZ Board members reached out to Paul Goldsmith on media stories, and later added stories to satisfy National Party Ministers
Gangs outnumber police in New Zealand – But That’s Not All
Gang profits have doubled, international organised crime strengthening their hooks, NZ has lost experienced cops, retail crime is up and often being ignored, drug use is at full blown crisis, domestic violence at 8 year highs, and the violent crime numbers are off base
Fining beggars
Fining beggers will only increase their problems and moving them on will not solve the problem only spread it around.
Good work if you can get it
National’s Ministerial Retail Advisory Group leader Sunny Kaushall has hit the headlines for huge catering costs inluding paying $9 for bottles of coke worth $5.50. But the deeper story should be why his activity, which is clearly political in nature, being funded by a fund set aside for victims.
Privatisation and Plunder
Privatisation and Plunder is essential reading for those who want to work for a society where prosperity for all is the aim.
Crime Soars Under National
Violent crime, sexual assaults and retail crime soar under National Party
Gaslighters of the world unite
David Seymour has complained that New Zealand has “some of the most anemic governing arrangements in the world constitutionally” without acknowledging that his Goverment could change this.
Gerrymander alert – Government running scared
You know a government is in trouble when it has to resort to gerrymander to boost its prospects. The coalition government’s decision to restrict voter enrolment is disgraceful.
Weasel Winston’s FiveEyes fudge
Winston Peters’ Ministerial statement in Parliament yesterday was a disgrace. Echoing other FiveEyes leaders such as Keir Starmer, unable to distinguish evil from good, he accused those who can of “moral posturing.”
What Tamatha Paul Really Said
Tamatha Paul’s comments on policing have been criticised by Luxon as “insane” but a closer look at what she really said shows how much her comments have been taken out of context.
Meanwhile, National’s law and order track record is only deteriorating.
Some more thoughts about National’s vigilante justice policy
National’s forary into supporting vigilante justice raises some thorny legal issues it appears National has not thught about.
Vigilante justice is apparently our birth right
Amongst the most dangerous, extreme and downright stupid policies the Government has come up with is the decision to be announced today to allow citizen’s arrests of shoplifters
Wage theft – now that is a real crime
In Australia, the Fair Work Act is enhanced to provide for jail time and large fines for individuals and companies who deliberately indulged in wage theft. It is a Federal act with investigative powers. Our members ‘Theft by Employers’ bill looks pathetic by comparison. But worth passing in its 3rd reading. It would be a “real tough on crime” act – not weak like Mark Mitchell’s tee-shirt snatch.
Foreign interference Bill ‘repressive tool’ to intimidate public: former minister
New Zealand is set to update sedition and espionage laws, making these as harsh as those of other Western states that are now gearing up for war with Russia and China.
Government succumbs to Sensible Sentencing Trust pressure and makes Three Strikes Bill worse
The Goverment has bowed to pressure from the Sensible Sentencing Trust and made the Three Strikes Bill even more unworkable.
National’s gang patch ban may hinder police investigations
The police’s recent successful operation against the Comanchero gang could concievably have been compromised by National’s proposed gang patch ban.
National plan for 2000 extra Kiwis in prison per year
The government plans to put up to 2000 more Kiwis behind bars by 2034 at a potential cost of up to $1.2bn per budget in today’s money. Meanwhile crime, including violent crime is increasing across all of NZ.
Attorney General’s constitutional advice on Treaty Principles bill will be interesting
David Seymour finally released some hard information about Act’s coalition bone – Treaty Principles bill. The regulatory impact statement is damning and points to the status quo as being preferable. It will provide an interesting scope for Judith Collins in her non-partisan role as Attorney-General.
Shane Jones is obsessed with communists
Shane Jones has been getting into the news recently after his comment that High Court Judge Cheryl Gwyn was a communist made at a private meeting was revealed in the media. He has been called out by Judith Collins and Winston Peters but surprisingly not by Christopher Luxon.
National’s solution to the housing crisis
Dan Bidois has unwittingly exposed that National has a list of well honed talking points that are used and repeated ad mauseum. Normally within context, sometimes not.
A short history of National’s fascination with boot camps
Just as with the Three Strikes Policy National has never seen an irrational itch it will not scratch for political advantage. Despite the reality.
The Abuse in Care report and the Government’s boot camp proposal
The Royal Commission’s recently released report into abuse in care has highlighted how unsuccessful and how damaging boot camps can be at the time the Government is celebrating the opening of its latest attempted version of a boot camp.
Government wins pay dispute with police: National Party 1, Police 0, Public -1
The National Government has won in its long standing pay dispute with New Zealand police. With Australia offering $20,000 cash bonuses and attractive packages to poach our cops, what’s going to happen to an already demoralised and stretched police force?
Conflict what conflict?
National activist Sunny Kaushall is to head a committee with a budget of $3.6 million over two years to advise the Government on complex legal and privacy issues for which Kaushal’s qualifications are not clear.
The rise of the bastard son of the three strikes law
The bastard son of the three strikes law alka the Sentencing (Reinstating Three Strikes) Amendment Bill was introduced into Parliament. And other measures announced will mean added cost, misery and injustice to the operation of our justice system.
Assange back in Australia
About time. Not that I have that I really have that much sympathy with Julian Assange. Always seemed like a bit of a narcissistic dickhead to me. But I get really pissed off with the level of US over-reach with their laws. Seems to me that this is a good time to rework our extradition treaties with them.
Court of Appeal rules against Chhour
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the summons issued to Children’s Minister Karen Chhour was valid but decline to enforce it as the date has passed. And the Government has hastily introduced the bill to stop any further action being taken by the Tribunal.
The Waitangi Tribunal v Karen Chhour
The Waitangi Tribunal has released a scathing interim decision relating to the Government’s intention to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989.