MPs accept 143,000 signature petition demanding tougher sentence for killer driver Rouxle Le Roux

Representatives of both National and Labour have accepted a petition for the Crown to appeal the sentence of the woman who killed 15-year-old air force cadet Nathan Kraatskow in a hit-and-run in May.

Opposition leader Simon Bridges was joined by National MPs Mark Mitchell and Erica Stanford, as well as Labour's Duncan Webb and Marja Lubeck, in accepting the 143,000 signature on the steps of Parliament this afternoon.

Nathan's father, Orion Kraatskow, said the support the petition had received was "far beyond what we had expected".

Nathan Kraatskow died when a learner driver, Rouxle Le Roux, hit him at an Albany intersection on May 18.

From the left: Labour's Marja Lubeck and Duncan Webb with Opposition Leader Simon Bridges and Orion & Charlene Kraatskow, along side National's Erica Stanford and Mark Mitchell

Le Roux, 19, had drunk wine and smoked cannabis earlier in the day before the Mercedes she was driving crashed into Kraatskow when he crossed an intersection riding a small bike.

The 15-year-old died at the scene. Le Roux and her two passengers failed to stop.

On Friday, Le Roux was sentenced in the Auckland District Court to 11 months' home detention and 250 hours of community work for dangerous driving causing death.

The aim of the petition was to get the Crown to appeal Le Roux's sentence.

"After Nathan's death, we felt sorry for Le Roux, but her behaviour since she has been charged has been disrespectful and shows a lack of remorse," Orion said today, adding that she had "made a mockery of the justice system".

National's justice spokesman Mark Mitchell said the size of the petition showed the depth of feeling in New Zealand in regards to this issue.

Bridges said this was a remarkable petition with the same amount of signatures as a New Zealand city.

Although Bridges would not comment on the sentence, he said this case was "hard to explain".

"I would urge the Crown, when they're considering whether to appeal, to be thinking very carefully about the fact there are 143,000 people who have signed the petition."

Webb said he had been asked by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to accept the petition on behalf of Labour.

He said the petition was the right thing to do, as it brought the issue to the attention of Parliament.

Charlene Kraatskow said she felt humbled an honoured by the steps everyone has taken to support the family.

"When we started the petition, we thought if we get 10,000 signatures that would be amazing – we got that in two hours."

She said she wanted to see the sentence appealed and for the justice system as a whole to be looked at, to make sure people aren't given lighter sentences in the future.

"The precedence [of this sentence] for teenaged kids is that you can go out, you can drink you can smoke and get behind the steering wheel of a car and kill someone and then they get 11 months at home – I just don't think that's right."

The petition will now be tabled in Parliament.