Traffic Fines Skyrocket 88 Percent

Wednesday 9 Feb 2005
Ken Shirley
Press Releases -- Crime & Justice

ACT MP Ken Shirley today said New Zealanders would be aghast at Police Minister George Hawkins' admission that the total value of traffic offence notices issued per year had skyrocketed by 87.7 percent between 2000 and 2004.

Under questioning by ACT MPs in Parliament today, Mr Hawkins said 559,935 traffic offence and infringement notices, worth a total value of $31.9 million, were issued in 2000, compared with 1,072,530, and $59.9 million, in 2004.

"This is a staggering increase, which will only serve to confirm in the public's mind that the Labour Government has turned our hard-working police into revenue gatherers," Mr Shirley said.

"It's a disgrace that while violent crime has ballooned by 13.5 percent over the last five years, Labour appears to be more interested in ticketing motorists - instead of bringing the murderers and rapists in our community to justice.

"New Zealanders are sick and tired of this Government being soft-on-crime. Violent crime is out-of-control, and must be curbed. It's time for Mr Hawkins to get his policing priorities right," Mr Shirley said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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