Three Strikes Legislation Repeal Bill

Thank you very much. I want to start broad and then get quite specific, including addressing some of the views of the Minister. The first point to make is that everyone has views. It’s rather presumptuous to say that, therefore, they are the facts. The problem we have, when we’re discussing this three strikes legislation, is the contradiction between growing crime, including violent crime, and this bill, which is removing one of the ways of exacting consequences and increasing consequences on recidivist and violent, in particular, criminals. I think the first point, particularly for listeners at home, is to understand that three strikes does not apply to the young kid stealing a sausage or some lollies. This is serious violent offending, and my colleague Paul Goldsmith noted the robbery today in his Epsom electorate. The Minister may or may not know that in my electorate, in Tāmaki, we’ve had multiple—

I’m sorry to interrupt the member, but the time has come for me to report progress on this bill.

House resumed.