Media Statement
For immediate release
Wednesday, 23 June, 2004

Alexander: Paroled Criminals Placed In Backpacker Hostels

Placing paroled criminals in backpacker hostels - "presumably with every chance of turning visitors to our country into their next victims" - is total madness, United Future's Marc Alexander said today.

Speaking after the Corrections Department revelation to the Law and Order Select Committee this morning, Mr Alexander said he was dumb-founded.

"I have long fought against a parole system that inflicts recidivist offenders on the good people of this country, but now we find that that is not enough.

"No, we are going a step further and planting our known criminals, who have no place else to go, right in among young tourists and backpackers visiting this country for a great New Zealand experience.

"I don't imagine Tourism New Zealand will be in a hurry to use this information in its next marketing drive," Mr Alexander said. "And are they burglars, rapists or even killers?"

In many respects those paroled to backpacker hostels would probably be most likely to reoffend, he said.

"After all, they clearly, by lack of alternative family or social options, don't have strong roots in society. And people who are isolated and alone would have the least chance of going straight," he said.

"Is there another country anywhere that places its criminals among its guests?"

Ends.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>