Justice and Law & Order

NZ First:

• Budget for police numbers to be increased to provide another 1000 police staff over the three budgets of this term with a view to achieving ratios comparable with those in Australia by 2010.

• Involve the New Zealand First spokesperson in a review of the home detention scheme.

• Develop new initiatives to reduce youth offending and discourage youth involvement in criminal gangs.

• Evaluate the costs and benefits of de-merging traffic enforcement from the police.

Immigration

NZ First:

• Conduct a full review of immigration legislation and administrative practices within the immigration service, to ensure the system meets the needs of New Zealand in the 21st century and has appropriate mechanisms for ensuring the system is not susceptible to fraud or other abuse, and taking note of other items raised by New Zealand First.

 Legislative proposals

 NZ First:

• Support, to a select committee for consideration, a New Zealand First Members Bill proposing to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years, and agree that if it has not been successful in the ballot within two years a clause may be incorporated into a government Bill in order that the issue can be addressed by a select committee.

 United Future:

• The Prostitution Reform Act will be reviewed to address problems associated with street soliciting, under age involvement and local authority control over brothel zoning.

• Will not support any legislative initiatives to decriminalise the recreational use of cannabis.

• Will not support any legislative initiatives to place limits on freedom of expression through so called “hate speech” laws.

 Families

United Future

• The Families Commission will not be downgraded, and will be the agency responsible for co-ordinating government support to “third sector” organisations providing parenting education and relationship counselling programmes.