29 July 1999

Extracts from an Address to the Ashburton Greypower Association, The Senior Citizens Hall, 252 Cameron Street, Ashburton, 29 July 1999

LAW AND ORDER

Most sane, law abiding New Zealanders watched with disbelief the situation in Southland where a family had to leave the district – because a gang moved in next door.

This family was persecuted because they had the temerity to stand up for their rights over some dangerous dogs.

Later, their house was fire bombed.

It makes you wonder whether there is any justice left for ordinary people.

The victims of this crime were the losers.

They were told publicly, via state owned television, that New Zealand is too small for them to hide in.

Decent people have had enough of criminal gangs.

We put extra police on the streets to deal with them when we were part of the coalition government, but now the police are getting bogged down in restructuring and failing computer systems.

As well, frontline police are being directed by a group of management focused handwringers in national headquarters.

Instead of dealing to these hoodlums, they’re supposed to go and bond with them.

New Zealand First has a simple answer to the crime problem. Work.
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Don’t give these louts taxpayer funded accommodation that costs sixty thousand dollars a year each.

Put them in work camps under supervision planting forests, building tracks, or clearing scrub.

Don’t keep them in jail unless they are a physical danger to society.

If they behave themselves give them extra training and skills to help them get a job when they serve their sentence.

In short, a form of tough love.

We have far too many people in prison these days.

If you want to empty our overflowing jails and stop our youngsters getting into trouble – give them jobs.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

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.

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