Media Statement By: Tony Ryall Minister of Justice

3 October 1999

Labour-Alliance's Justice Team Has Nothing To Say On Tougher Sentences

'Labour-Alliance's Justice team, Matt Robson and Phil Goff, were deafeningly silent last week as report after report made it clear New Zealanders want tougher sentences for the worst criminals,' Justice Minister, Tony Ryall, said today.

'It is telling that the Opposition spokesmen, who are usually falling over themselves to comment, have said nothing on tougher sentences.

'Through silence the Opposition hoped to avoid the tough questions like:

'Why didn't they vote to get rapists off the streets for longer'

'Why have they promised to reduce the maximum penalties for violent home-invasions'

'Why have they promised to reduce the minimum non-parole period for home-invasion murders from 13 years to 10 years'

'The politically-correct academics running Labour-Alliance are no doubt shocked to discover just how out of touch they have become with the feelings of ordinary New Zealanders.

'Nowhere is this more true than in their strident opposition to Government moves to increase sentences for the worst offenders,' said Mr Ryall.

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.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>