Law and order policy

Press, 13 June 1984, Page 9

Law and order policy

Repealing victimless crimes such as homosexual-

ity, prostitution, and attempted suicide would be part of the New Zealand Party’s policy on law and order, said the party’s president, Mr Malcolm McDonald, last evening. Addressing the Christchurch Lions Club, Mr McDonald said that the full policy on law and order would be released in Auckland later this month.

The party was committed to reducing crime in New Zealand by increasing police numbers and resources.

“We recognise that at present, because of inadequate numbers and equipment, the police are faced with a critical problem of coping effectively with increased crime,” he said. Policemen should be relieved of a number of duties which could be performed by other Government departments or security agencies.

The police were now involved in prosecutions and law enforcement for the Social Welfare Department but it could do these functions in the same way as the Customs Department and the Inland Revenue Department. Mr McDonald said that the party also believed that laws which made an offence

of “victimless” crimes should be repealed.

A victimless crime was an offence that caused no harm other than to its perpetrator. Examples were homosexuality, prostitution, and attempted suicide.

Mr McDonald said that laws against actions such as attempted suicide were no deterrent. “If the offender succeeds he immediately places himself beyond the law. If he fails, the police conduct the necessary time-consuming investigation and then do nothing about it anyway,” he said.

However, the New Zealand Party would favour harsher penalties for serious crimes, and crimes of violence, such as rape, indecent assault, and drug-related offences. It would also reform the prison system. Although some hardened criminals were beyond reform, the present system was of little benefit to prisoners who were amendable to reform.

“At present, this type of prisoner is likely to emerge from prison as a far more capable criminal than before,” he said.

Prisoners should work an eight-hour day on productive jobs and be paid a fair wage. Their income should

go towards restitution for their offence and the balance would help them readjust to society on their release.

Mr McDonald said the New Zealand Party believed that education was the best solution to the problem of increasing crime.

“It is fair to say that as a general rule well-educated people do not commit crimes justifying imprisonment,” he said. Of the party’s constitutional policy, Mr McDonald said that New Zealand lived under an “elected dictatorship.”

The party had about 20,000 members many of whom had joined because of their alarm at the “autocratic, dictatorial unconstitutional style of government” imposed in recent years.

To a question from the floor, Mr McDonald said that the New Zealand Party’s defence policy would include immediate steps to ban nuclear weapons from New Zealand. It would also provide for restructuring of the Armed Forces and a referendum on whether New Zealand should belong to A.N.Z.U.S.