M.P.s blamed for Ignoring’ violence

Press, 13 June 1978, Page 2

M.P.s blamed for Ignoring’ violence

Lack of action by par ha-> tnentarians was the basic, cause of the problems of violence in New Zealand, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Violent Offending ; was told in Christchurch yesterday. For years, members of Parliament had failed to read the danger signs and, act on information which had been “thrust under their noses," said the chairman ofj the Lions International i crime prevention campaign in Christchurch (Mr A.' Brunt) in submissions to the i committee. “Only now. when the situ-' ation is out of hand — and it is — has a Parliamentary' select committee been set up to make recommendations which may alleviate the problem,” said Mr Brunt. Stem warnings about the; growing crime rate had been; given by successive Commis-' sioners of Police. Police statistics, which i were freely available to par-' hamentarians, had also

ishown a huge rise in the crime rate. ( In the last 10 years, said’ • Mr Brunt, drug offences had ■ increased 780 per cent, of-i /fences against the person 96: per cent, offences against, property 89 per cent, and of-! fences against public order ; , 50 per cent. [ Over-all the crime rate' /had risen 79 per cent. - These statistics, coupled) f with warnings from top: I‘police officers, should have, /made politicians take notice and action, said Mr Brunt. “But this was not the; case, and failure to act has: . led to an irreversible situ-I . ation. “Had figures comparable! with the escalation in the! ' crime rate referred instead; ’ to an adverse balance of payments, there would have: been an uproar in Parlia- ' ment House,” Mr Brunt said. An over-affluent and permissive society was destroying itself in New Zealand, i he said. The results could 'easily be seen in increased criminal activity over the

> last 10 years, and would be reflected even more as a re-J suit of widespread unemIployment. “For many years we have ■been harangued by solemn (Statements from members of Parliament and Cabinet Ministers concerning the rising road toll, but decisive, albeit unpopular, action to back up these statements is non--existent, ’’ said Mr Brunt. “While they deliberated and lamented, 600 to 700! people have died every year.l and thousands more suffered) injury, with astronomical! ;icost to the country.” Mr Brunt said that any action to curb violent crime /would need to be radical and i far-reaching, and inevitably /would be unpopular with ’ some sectors of the comimunity. On the issue of violence, politics and political expediency must be buried for the common good. “It is only Parliament which can make the laws, I set the example, and give the lead,” Mr Brunt said.