Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and National leader Christopher Luxon are questioned on law and order policy during this morning's caucus runs. Video / Mark Mitchell
PM Chris Hipkins bungled youth crime announcement yesterday has raised questions about whether he is now playing the tough-on-crime card for political reasons, despite criticising National for that in the past.
It was later corrected that Cabinet had actually decided to make that behaviour an aggravating factor that judges could use when sentencing an offender.
National and Act have claimed Hipkins’ announcement yesterday was purely political and an attempt to win votes, pointing out it was possible some of the new measures might not be introduced before the Parliament stops on August 31.
Hipkins today explained the mix-up occurred because there had been two options considered - one that was more narrowly focused on gang members and those from organised crime outfits who were enlisting young people for criminal behaviour, and the other preferred option that ensured it would cover anyone regardless of whether they were in a gang.
Hipkins’ rationale was he didn’t want the power going unused because a person’s link to a gang couldn’t be established.
In his press release yesterday, Hipkins referenced an “organised crime element” within youth crime. Speaking to TVNZ this morning, Hipkins said that was largely based on anecdotal evidence, which he later clarified to the Herald.
“If you talk to people who are involved in it, you talk to some of the frontline police involved in it, they’ll express some concern here but that doesn’t mean that there’s a huge evidence base behind that.
“Ultimately, we’re adding a new tool to the toolkit ... what we want to do is send a very clear message that there are tougher consequences for adults who are enlisting young people into criminal offending.”
His comments yesterday included how he and Kiwis had had a “gutsful” of people “acting as if the rules don’t apply to them”.
Hipkins’ reliance on anecdotal evidence and use of tough-on-crime rhetoric stood in contrast to what he had said in the past, particularly when he levelled criticism at the National Party.
In a speech while in Opposition in 2010 on the Electoral (Disqualification of Convicted Prisoners) Amendment Bill, Hipkins took aim at the then National-led Government for muddying debates on law and order by speaking with “anger and hatred”.
“It is very difficult to deal with this issue in a way that will look good on the news and will make people likely to vote for us,” Hipkins said.
“Yes, there are votes in being seen to be hard on criminals. There are very few votes, unfortunately, in dealing with the root causes of crime and criminal offending, because they are not easy and they do not fit on a bumper sticker.”
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Photo / Mark Mitchell
In November last year when he was Police Minister, Hipkins said he didn’t “make Government policy decisions based on anecdote”, while responding to a question from National police spokesperson Mark Mitchell.
He acknowledged there was anecdotal evidence that young offenders were selling stolen goods to gangs, but said that didn’t mean gangs were orchestrating it.
“... police continue to advise me that there is little evidence that this type of offending is being orchestrated by the gangs,” Hipkins said to Mitchell.
Hipkins this morning said the Government had been “very focused” on prevention and protection in the last 12 months when it came to crime and justice policy, but that the ongoing level of retail crime had shifted that focus.
