KEY POINTS:
National has attacked Children's Commissioner Cindy Kiro's views on tagging, calling them out of step with the public.
In a submission to Parliament's law and order committee on its tagging and graffiti legislation, Dr Kiro said the proposed laws adversely affected young people under 18.
Measures included in the Summary Offences (Tagging and Graffiti Vandalism) Amendment Bill include raising the maximum fine for tagging from $200 to $2000 and banning the sale of spray cans to people under 18.
In Parliament yesterday, National MP Judith Collins asked whether Social Development Minister Ruth Dyson agreed with Dr Kiro's submission that for some people, graffiti and tagging were a legitimate art form.
Answering on Ms Dyson's behalf, associate minister Darren Hughes said Dr Kiro's independence as commissioner allowed her to have views that might differ to the Government's.
Ms Collins said Dr Kiro had said graffiti and tagging provided a sense of fellowship and was an expression-based culture.
Mr Hughes said that was not the Government's view. "We are listening to what the community are saying, that they want a tough line on tagging." He said that in fairness to Dr Kiro, she had acknowledged that people thought graffiti was "an act of vandalism, a serious expensive social problem and an irritating eyesore".
Ms Collins called Dr Kiro's views "outrageous", saying they "show yet again that she is out of step with ordinary Kiwi families".
In her submission, Dr Kiro said the committee should be considering options that appropriately balance the rights of property owners against the rights of young people.
She said solutions had to be broader than the punitive measures in the bill.
- NZPA
