Act outlines its wish for hard justice

NEW ZEALAND HERALD: Act yesterday launched a policy it hopes will help New Zealand "turn back the clock" - and the person who drafted it is the mystery candidate No 5 on the party's list.

David Garrett, an Auckland lawyer and passionate anti-crime advocate, will be leading the party's charge on law and order, which leader Rodney Hide says will be one of two main policies it will be campaigning strongly on this election.

"Clearly, the economy is important, but law and order sits right up there, and to many Kiwis it is just as, if not more important than the economy."

Mr Hide says law and order will be one policy he will not be prepared to compromise in the event of a coalition in a National-led government.

Act's policy calls for zero tolerance for crime, a communities-first approach to policing and one law for all. It also wants to deport any non-New Zealand citizen convicted of a serious violent offence upon completion of sentence or earlier.

Mr Garrett, the legal adviser to the Sensible Sentencing Trust who drafted its "three strikes law" - which says repeat violent offenders should be jailed for 25 years or life - says the tough laws will help New Zealand to "turn back the clock".

Under Labour, he says, violent crime has increased over 43 per cent, and putting the rights of criminals first made 350 New Zealanders victims of violent crime every week.

Also, without Act, nothing would change under a government led by National, which saw an increase in crime during its previous terms.

Mr Garrett said Act's policy advocating "zero tolerance in policing" and "harsh quick justice" would help to bring New Zealand society back to a time when it was safe to walk the streets and leave doors and windows open at night.

For Mr Garrett to get a seat in Parliament, Mr Hide must retain his Epsom seat and Act must win at least 4 per cent of party votes. The latest Fairfax Media-Nielsen political poll puts support for Act at 1 per cent.

Law and order was also hotly discussed at the Korean Multi-Party political convention on Saturday. Politicians from six parties - including NZ First leader Winston Peters - debated law and order, immigration and health to woo the Asian vote.