Mr Bush said police were deeply concerned about the rise in this violent crime.
Charanjit Dhillon said police were doing an excellent job and working hard. The law was too soft, he said.
Mr Dhillon has personally been the victim of two aggravated robberies in Tauranga - one involving a knife and the other a gun. His Rotorua store was robbed on Sunday.
"The New Zealand law has to be sorted out."
Mr Dhillon said there was no deterrent to would-be thieves and it felt like shopkeepers such as him and his staff had no power or support. He said local MPs Simon Bridges and Todd McClay needed to step up on the issue.
"I'm really disappointed in the Ministers. They have got time for shop openings, but they never say anything about this ... I don't care about politics, but they should be protecting their community."
Mr Dhillon said he wanted offenders to suffer harsher penalties and if it were up to him "I would chop their hands off".
"We want to keep New Zealand a nice, safe country but New Zealand kids are out of control."
Amandeep Kaur who runs the Greerton's Carlisle Street Convenience Store with her husband was still traumatised after two masked offenders, one carrying a hammer, robbed her of cash and cigarettes earlier this month.
However, she was hopeful after yesterday's announcement.
"I think the police putting more effort into it, it's good. We feel more secure knowing that. But the law system needs to be a little bit harder," she said.
Ms Kaur said robbers did not seem to care.
"They are never going to feel how we feel, you know?
"It's not like we are going and telling them anything they will listen to."
Tauranga MP Simon Bridges said he and the Government backed victims of crime 100 per cent "and believe we must do everything we possibly can to prevent and deter all serious crime including aggravated robbery".
Rotorua MP Todd McClay said he had been in touch with the Rotorua and Te Puke Indian community, including shopkeepers, to offer his support.
"People have a right to feel safe when they are working. The police have acted quickly ... and the recent announcement of an additional 69 police for the Bay of Plenty means our police can continue to target criminals and make people safer."
Western Bay of Plenty police area commander Inspector Clifford Paxton could not be reached for comment before publication.
KEY POINTS
- Police and Crimestoppers have teamed up on new campaign
- Aim is to reduce aggravated robberies
- New taskforces will target those who receive and deal stolen goods
- Reward offered to those who help police prosecute robbers
- 'There's nothing good about stolen goods' will run for a month initially
Aggravated robberies - how you can help
Call 111 in an emergency.
Otherwise contact your local police station - you can find numbers on the police website police.govt.nz.
Alternatively, you can report via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.