The repealing of the Three Strikes law shows how soft on crime Labour really is, says National’s Justice spokesperson Simon Bridges.

“With increasing violent offending and the highest levels of firearms violence in more than a decade, Labour is doubling down on its soft-on-crime approach with the repeal of the Three Strikes law. This will put public safety at risk.

“National introduced the Three Strikes law back in 2010 to make sure that the worst repeat offenders would not be eligible for parole.

“We did this because National, unlike the Government, holds serious repeat offenders to account. Criminals convicted under the law have committed an average of 74 offences.

“Labour is making a mockery of the justice system. With prison violence increasing to its highest levels in years, the reduction in the prison population policy and exploding gang membership, Labour is not committed to keeping New Zealanders safe.

“Victims have been losing faith in the justice system because offenders are not held to account because the Government simply catches and releases offenders.

“National will fight the repeal all the way. When we return to Government, we will reinstate the Three Strikes law.

“Catch-and-release is not a viable policy for keeping New Zealanders safe. National believes that if you do the crime, you should do the time”.

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