Peeni Henare is doubling down on Labour’s commitment to bring back gang patches and Chris Hipkins is staying silent, National’s Justice Spokesperson Paul Goldsmith says.

“Mr Henare has said he stands by his commitment to repeal the gang patch law at an event on Wednesday night, despite Carmel Sepuloni saying he was mistaken.

“However, Mr Henare’s ‘personal view’ is a better indication of what a Labour-Green-Te Pāti Māori Government stands for, than anything Chris Hipkins has said.

“If one of Labour’s most senior MPs believes that Labour will repeal the gang patch ban, Hipkins’ commitment not to repeal it must not mean much.

“How many other Labour MPs share the same view as Peeni Henare?

“The fact that Henare is comfortable openly undermining his leader’s position is revealing – that Labour actually wants to bring back gang patches, and doesn't care if they return to terrorising communities.

“There are 28,000 fewer victims of violent crime than when we came into Government. We know our plan to restore law and order is working, and providing police and the courts with more tools to go after gangs, is an integral part of that.

“Labour’s soft on crime approach puts it all at risk. It would mean returning to gangs behaving as though they are above the law, taking over small towns and peddling misery throughout New Zealand.”

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