The Government is preparing to wager $5,000,000

Friday February 11

The Government is preparing to wager $5,000,000 that it will win the next election.

Yesterday it was reported that up to $5 million has been set aside to recompense companies bidding for the contract to build the private prison at Wiri, should National lose the November election. The provision will be put before Cabinet shortly.

Jeremy Lightfoot, the PPP director of the Department of Corrections, said the money acknowledges the political risk if Labour wins, and is a response to the fact that private prisons do not have bipartisan support in parliament.

Spokesperson for the Howard League for Penal Reform, Jarrod Gilbert, says, “The situation reflects a lack of debate about corporations running prisons in New Zealand”.

“Without a robust debate, there is a lack of public consensus on private prisons, and we find ourselves in the absurd situation whereby $5m of tax payer money will be gambled on National winning the next election”

“We are not investing in justice or community safety, but simply having a punt on ideology”.

ENDS

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