Simon Power MP National Party
Justice & Corrections Spokesman

7 October 2008

Labour's broken promise No 7 on law and order:

Victims' compensation

The Labour Government has still not delivered on a promise it first made to victims of crime 14 years ago, says National's Justice & Corrections spokesman, Simon Power.

"Labour and Helen Clark have made promise after promise over the past 14 years with regard to victims' compensation but nothing has come of them.

* On 4 July 1994, Helen Clark said: 'Labour also intends to consult widely on an appropriate victims' compensation scheme'. * In Labour's 1996 election campaign policy, she promised to 'investigate the establishment of a separate Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme'. * In Labour's 2005 election campaign policy, she said Labour 'will inquire into the level of immediate financial support available to victims or families of victims of serious crime, especially homicide, and examine options for providing improved support'. * In February 2008, in her opening statement to the House, Helen Clark again said Labour would look into a victims' compensation scheme.

"So where is it?

"All they've done is ask the Law Commission to investigate, and we're still waiting for a discussion document from them.

"Apart from their first term, when they passed the Victims Rights Act 2002, Labour have done very little.

"They even failed to fulfil their promise made in January this year to make changes to the law to ensure victims did not have to repay legal aid grants.

"Victims of crime deserve a better deal and National will give it to them.

"As National announced in March, we will introduce a Victim Compensation Scheme (VCS), which will be funded by a levy on all offenders; direct all compensation paid to prisoners and unclaimed by victims into the VCS; establish a Victim Notification Register; review the Victims Rights Act 2002."

National's Victims policy is at: http://www.national.org.nz/Article.aspx?ArticleId=28242

ENDS

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