Tony Ryall
National Police Spokesman

28 June 2004

'Rub Out The Crims' Ad Scandal Is Back

The infamous 'Rub Out The Crims' advertising scandal is set for a repeat as part of the Government's new Violence Action Plan, says National MP Tony Ryall.

Today the Government launched 'Safer Communities: Action Plan to Reduce Community Violence and Sexual Violence' which it hopes will fill in the gaps in current policies and develop community-level responses. Mr Ryall says this is just Labour up to its old tricks again. "This report has some sensible ideas in it that no one can argue with.

"But when the first recommendations are all about an advertising campaign, and the Minister fails to mention it in his press statement, the public should be suspicious. "Violent crime has gone up by 15% on Labour's watch. It has increased every year since 1999.

"National would like to see more emphasis on tackling drug dealing gangs who have caused much of the growing violence on the streets.

"Mr Goff should be amending the Proceeds of Crimes legislation as a priority.

"Instead, sadly, this looks like a plan to roll out an election year advertising campaign to cover up Labour's dreadful violent crime record", said Mr Ryall.

Ends

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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>>