PM's Presser Audio 19/01/10: 3 Strikes In

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At a post cabinet press conference today the Prime Minister John Key, accompanied by Act Part Leader Rodney Hide and Minister of Police and Corrections Judith Collins, announced that the National Party and Act had reached an agreement on changes to the sentencing and parole reform bill.

He said the bill would incorporate a three strike policy to ensure that the country's worst repeat offenders would receive the maximum allowable sentence for their law breaking.

This would mean that if an offender committed two serious offences the third offence would carry the maximum penalty under the law with no parole.

The 'three strikes' policy had been "on the table from day one," and law and order was something that both National and Act had campaigned on during the election, Mr Key said.

Rodney Hide said that the Act party welcomed the announcement.

The Prime Minister confirmed foreign media reports that NZ SAS troops were involved in countering an insurgent attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. He confirmed the insurgent attack happened yesterday, NZ time, and he said that no SAS troops were injured. He would not be drawn on any of the details of the incident other than to confirm that the SAS were part of an operation in Kabul.

The Prime Minister also announced that the tax working group is due to report back to the government tomorrow. He said that the government will carefully consider the group's report and would take it into consideration for decision making in the 2010budget. Mr Key signalled changes to the tax system.

• Scoop Audio: PM John Key's post-cabinet press conference 19/01/10

See Also:

• NZ Govt - National and ACT agree to three-strikes regime
• ACT - 'Three Strikes' To Become Law

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