NZ National Party
Press Release

Hon. Tony Ryall MP
National Law & Order spokesman
6 September 2004

Prisoner payouts: here we go again

Mismanagement by Corrections Minister Paul Swain may end up costing taxpayers dearly, says National's Law and Order spokesman Tony Ryall.

He is commenting on reports that remand prisoners are considering legal action over the length of their detention in court cells in Auckland.

"Mr Swain has known of this shortage of remand space for quite some months.

"He has done nothing to avert the crisis. The department is now in panic-mode trying to find spaces.

"We know that police officers are being pulled off the front line to guard remand inmates in court cells all over Auckland.

"Another round of court action based on prisoners' hurt feelings is in the wind. Mr Swain should have moved much sooner to fix this problem instead of hoping it would go away.

"His mismanagement may cost taxpayers dearly," says Mr Ryall.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

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