The latest 1News Kantar poll shows that 70 per cent of New Zealanders believe the government is not doing enough to deal with gangs. Only 14 per cent thought the government was doing enough to deal with gangs. Even amongst Labour Party voters, only 25 per cent believed the government was doing enough. Kiwis do not feel safe.
Yet, in the midst of a crime wave involving gang turf battles, gun crimes and violent ram raids, the government along with the Greens and the Maori Party have responded by scrapping the Three Strikes Law that specifically targets repeat violent offenders.
ACT’s David Seymour says that:
“New Zealanders don’t want their safety to be at the mercy of a gang truce; we need to strike fear into these gangs that their criminal behaviour is unacceptable, and they won’t get away with it.”
National Party Leader Christopher Luxon says:
“New Zealanders are not feeling safe in their own homes and their own communities and the primary responsibility of the Government is to protect its citizens, and the reality is the government has been soft on crime.”
The government needs to show kindness to victims of crime and law-abiding New Zealanders, not to the gangs and violent offenders.