29 April 2001 Media Statement

Newman should be accountable for false prison claim

A claim by the Act party that the Corrections Department is seeking an alternative site to Ngawha for the Northland correctional facility is wrong, Corrections Minister Matt Robson says.

He says Act MP Muriel Newman should be accountable for fabricating her claim.

In a press release today ACT MP Muriel Newman challenged Matt Robson to deny the Government is trying to find another site for the prison. She attacked the decision to build the prison at Ngawha.

"There is no truth whatsoever to Ms Newman's claim. She has made a wild and totally false claim under the guise of 'challenging me to deny the claim.'

"She has made it up. She should resign her spokesperson responsibility. MPs cannot get away with fabricating claims that have no substance whatsoever."

Matt Robson says Act is being hypocritical and opportunistic in calling for more prisons and opposing them when they are announced

"Does Act want more prisons or not?

"The party that claims it stands for 'truth in sentencing' would lock up thousands more inmates, requiring new prisons in backyards all over the country.

"For Ms Newman to now say she is opposed to the prison in Northland begs the question of where Act wants to put all the prisoners it says it wants locked up.

"It is tiresome to be attacked by the Opposition one minute for not building enough prisons and then attacked the next minute for building them," Matt Robson said.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

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