David Bennett - Corrections

20 June 2019

Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis has said he doesn’t know what impact the Government’s latest flagship law and order policy will have, and there are no measures on whether it will be effective, National’s Corrections spokesperson David Bennett says.

“Mr Davis confirmed this morning that he doesn’t know what impact the Government’s Māori Pathway pilot at Ngawha and Hawke’s Bay prisons will have on crime. When asked what effect it will have over the next three years, Mr Davis couldn’t answer.

“This is $100 million of taxpayers’ money, New Zealanders deserve to know whether this money is being spent effectively. But the Minister can’t even explain to Kiwis how much he expects reoffending to reduce, or by how much he expects the prison population to reduce by as a result of his policy.

“National focuses on policies driven by data because we know that is how you improve outcomes for New Zealanders. The Government has at its disposal the same resources we had, so it should be able to project what impact this programme will have.

“This is another example of a lazy, incompetent Government throwing money around and walking away, rather than looking at targeted interventions to reduce harm. If it was truly focussed on programmes and actions that work, Mr Davis would be able to tell us what the Government expects from this intervention.

“This is a Government that claimed the Budget showed specific measurable outcomes like reducing crime and reoffending. Mr Davis doesn’t know whether his programmes will do either.

“National stands unashamedly on the side of victims while ensuring we safely and effectively reduce crime and reoffending.”

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