Tauranga byelection: Candidates' plans to tackle gang violence far-reaching

Tauranga byelection candidates share their views on whether they support banning gang patches like these pictured from public areas. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Some Tauranga byelection candidates believe legalising cannabis is the answer to the region's gang crime. Others say sending teens off to military school or increasing police presence on the streets are better solutions. But how exactly do these 12 candidates vying for the role of MP plan to turn such ideas into a reality? Kiri Gillespie finds out.

New Zealand's gang violence has been increasing in recent weeks and while 11 of Tauranga's 12 byelection candidates agree there's an issue, they have varied views on how to tackle it on a local level.

National candidate Sam Uffindell has already announced he would, if elected, introduce a Bill to Parliament giving police more power to stop gang convoys and enforce a ban on them riding around town.

Uffindell also supported taking measures to reduce the number of gang patches on the streets, particularly by "empowering a dedicated gang unit to harass and disrupt gang activity".

Act Party candidate Cameron Luxton said his party would introduce Gang Control Orders, allowing police to apply for an injunction against an individual on the National Gang List.

This would be used to ban bad behaviours such as being in a particular location or associating with particular people. It could also be used to impose "positive actions" such as rehabilitation to help provide "real change in our communities", he said.

The goal for One Party co-leader and candidate Allan Cawood was to build a society where there were no gangs. The party planned to do this by increasing police numbers, funding programmes such as Inspired to Succeed, legalising cannabis and introducing mandatory 12-month military training courses for all 18-year-olds.

"What we need to understand is that it is not the person that's wrong, it is the actions they take that are wrong."

Labour candidate and list MP Jan Tinetti said she was proud of the work the Government had already done to address gang issues, such as increasing police numbers, the police's efforts against organised crime, and a Firearms Prohibition Order which is before the Justice Select Committee.

Tinetti said tackling gang issues required a multi-faceted approach because of factors such as poverty, health, educational issues and drugs.

In comparison, Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis candidate Christ Coker's response was singular: "Cannabis is the answer". Legalising the drug would allow gang members to legally enjoy cannabis and its benefits as a safer alternative to methamphetamine, Coker, based in Waipiro Bay, said.

"Cannabis has been proven in most people to make them more sociable and less violent."

However, independent candidate Yvette Lamare said believed prevention of drug and alcohol addiction was the answer.

Lamare said she would like to get her poetry on methamphetamine, alcohol, drug and alcohol addiction, terminal illness, drunk driving and suicide turned into music to help address the issue.

Candidates (top, from left) Helen Houghton, Cameron Luxton, Sam Uffindell, Jan Tinetti, Peter Wakeman, (bottom, from left) Christ Coker, Allan Cawood, Sue Grey, Tony Corbett, Andrew Hollis, Yvette Lamare. Photos / Supplied

New Nation Party candidate Andrew Hollis had a four-pronged approach, saying he would tighten New Zealand's borders to slow the supply of drugs and their precursors at ports especially, ramp up penalties for high-end drug users, encourage more prosecution and removal of assets from drug-related crime and "stop Australia sending us their criminals such as the Comancheros".

He said ensuring police walked the beat in trouble areas would help to keep gangs and youth crime off the streets.

New Conservative candidate Helen Houghton said gang violence had to be tackled on two levels; firstly by better enabling police to do their job and walk the streets, providing "real consequences" for offenders.

Secondly, the community needed to stand up and support each other.

"Gang violence is not just a police issue, it is a community issue that everyone needs to work on and accept responsibility for."

Outdoors and Freedom Party candidate Sue Grey also spoke of community, saying the Covid-19 response created stress and division with rising prices and job losses, resulting in some people dropping out of society.

"We need to support gang members and others who feel isolated from society to find the courage to 'opt back in' to work with, rather than against, our communities."

Independent candidate Peter Wakeman, based in Christchurch, said if he was elected, he would be able to ask parliamentary written questions and have a response within 14 days.

He proposed a policy to offer financial support for people to break free of gangs and further their education. He also supported legalising cannabis for people 18 and over as he believed it would reduce the use of alcohol, methamphetamine and other drugs "which would result in reducing violence".

Independent candidate Tony Corbett, based in Auckland, offered some verses from the Bible in his response and said that during his time working in the justice sector he "didn't preach to my detainees, I simply led by example and used the wisdom of proverbs from the Holy Bible to guide my way".

"Unfortunately, lawless Governments have rejected the word of God, Jesus Christ, from the Parliament Prayer ... removed it from schools and the public sector and subsequently we have what we have in society."

All candidates were asked when was the last time they had spoken with a gang member and what they talked about but only Grey, Lamare, Luxton, and Tinetti gave an answer.

Grey said she spoke to some while at the Wellington occupation earlier this year about New Zealand's future, Lamare spoke with gang members in February when she gave them a copy of her poetry about the harms of drug and alcohol addiction, Luxton had spoken to gang members last summer about community changes and hunting, and Tinetti had done so during her time as principal at Merivale School, discussing aspirations for children.

Regarding the prospect of banning gang patches from public areas, just Cawood, Lamare and Uffindell supported such a move. Coker, Corbett, Houghton, Grey, and Luxton did not, with Grey saying: "Gang problems cannot be fixed with bans, bribes or Band-Aids".

Wakeman said the issue was murky territory and Hollis said such a move impinged on freedom of expression yet if someone wearing a patch was intimidating, threatening or violent police should be called as the "public should feel safe".

Nearly all candidates believed the firearms amnesty had bombed, with criticisms from Hollis labelling it an "abject failure", Cawood saying it had only driven guns underground, and Coker saying it had little to no effect.

Tinetti was the only candidate not to oppose the amnesty, saying the Government had a strong track record of tackling gun violence and had now banned the most dangerous guns and created harsher penalties for gun crime.

* Independent candidate Gordon Dickson was approached for comment