Tony Ryall National Party Police Spokesperson

30 January 2002

Labour to release criminals early

Many of New Zealand's sex offenders will be out of jail early under Labour's Sentencing Bill, says National Police spokesman Tony Ryall.

Speaking to a public meeting in Oamaru tonight, Mr Ryall said: "Helen Clark wants to put rapists and other sex offenders back into the community well before they have served even half their sentence.

"That's not what New Zealander's voted for in the referendum. It is why Law and Order will be a key election issue.

"Labour's Sentencing Bill will thrill the civil libertarians and lily-livered liberals running the justice system.

"Over the next six months we will be rolling out new ideas and approaches to the Law and Order crisis.

"Record violent crime and plummeting police morale are part of that crisis.

"We will provide the strong leadership the New Zealand police are lacking. We will provide leadership and direction in the fight against violent crime. Our country cannot afford to continue with incompetents running the police service."

ENDS

Reporters note:

Labour's Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill provides for serious violent offenders including rapists to qualify for parole at one third of their sentence instead of the current two third level.

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