30 August 2002

Goff Twists The Truth Again On Crime Stats

Justice Minister Phil Goff is wrong to claim the only reason provisional crime figures were released just before the election was because ACT MP Rodney Hide requested them under the Official Information Act, says National Police spokesman Tony Ryall. National has today released official papers from the Police which show that Police Minister George Hawkins asked for the 10-month figures on 29 April this year.

The papers also show that the Police told the Government at the time that "Provisional data cannot reliably be compared to official crime statistics" and that "Provisional statistics are not quality controlled..."

"The Police do not release provisional crime data in response to OIA requests. National has tried it, and they never have," says Mr Ryall.

"Phil Goff has been caught out by his own cynical spin of releasing data on the day the Auckland highway announcement is made and the Government produces a multi-million dollar WINZ mistake. "What the Minister must now do is front up on how long he's known about the real crime figures, released yesterday. Senior police confirm that these figures were available on the Police system from mid July...two weeks before the election.

"How long did the Prime Minister know about them? She told the country, just a few days before the election, that crime was coming down. It's hard to believe that no one whispered in her ear about the real figures," says Mr Ryall.

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