Helen Houghton
C0-leader New Conservative Party
Today’s headline, is anyone surprised?
Take away parents’ ability to give consequences for misbehaviour; take away a teacher’s ability to remove unruly students from the classroom; take away a family’s ability to provide for their own; take away our police presence on the streets; take away the value of all human life, and what is left? Lawlessness and chaos.
We diminish the value of marriage, of the mother and father in the home, of the essential need to have a strong, healthy family and community for people to thrive. People need connection. They need family. The family has been divided over government interference into personal responsibility and decisions.
Yet where we need a good, strong government to provide law and support there is nothing.
We don’t support families to succeed. Instead, we offer handouts when they break down.
We don’t have adequate intake facilities for people who have succumbed to substance dependency and we don’t have adequate support for mental health providers.
Crimes must be dealt with or there is no disincentive. If I could steal without being caught, I would if I didn’t have the means to survive due to the high cost of living. If I could bash people because I am not punished, then what is to stop me from releasing all the anger I have due to my circumstances? A crime must have consequences, then we must address the reasons why there is an increase in crime and violence.
We have disregarded life with extreme abortion and euthanasia laws, we enable children to disfigure bodies at the whim of a feeling instead of putting resources in to get them the proper care, and we teach children about the world ending and racism like it’s their fault. Our young people don’t have respect because they don’t know the value of lives, including their own. Our young people are not getting messages of hope and resilience but of catastrophe and hopelessness.
Government politicians have complained that they feel unsafe because of nasty messages from the public and suggest they will need special protection from the police in the next election campaign – but no politician has been attacked. Meanwhile, operators of dairies and other small businesses are attacked every day! Where is their protection? The government continues to undermine their safety, focusing on reducing the prison population rather than keeping people safe. Police resources have been diverted away from real crime to enforcing other government policies. Violent criminals get a slap on the wrist, rapists get released early to repeat the crime, and overseas gangs have free reign with no risk of deportation.
The primary role of the government is to protect its people. New Conservative will ensure the focus of the justice system and the government is on protecting the people of New Zealand from real dangers. Justice will be done and will be seen to be done.