4 July 2019

Police Minister Stuart Nash has confirmed the Government is sitting on its hands when it comes to gangs and organised crime, National’s Police spokesman Brett Hudson says.

“Labour campaigned on widening the Police’s ability to take action against gangs and those who carry out organised crime. It said it would review the legislation but so far we’ve seen no action.

“In answer to questions from National, Police Minister Stuart Nash was unable to list any initiatives that the Government is carrying out to tackle organised crime.

“Preventing organised crime should be one of the top priorities for the Minister of Police and having a clear plan is vital.

“The National Government was focussed on this. We added 80 specialist staff to target organised crime and seized hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of assets from gangs.

“We also had a clear plan of what to do next. We proposed getting tough on illegal firearms through firearms prohibition orders and we had a dedicated methamphetamine action plan ready to go.

“Given there’s no plan to prevent organised crime, it’s no wonder the number of serious cases in our courts has skyrocketed under Labour. This means more harm and more victims.

“Organised crime is a major concern for local communities up and down the country and we need clarity on what this Government is providing to deal with gangs and organised crime.”

Notes to editors: The Written Question to Stuart Nash attached

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