Prime Minister and Botany MP Christopher Luxon has revealed the coalition Government has not hit its targeted reduction in violent crime.
One of the Government’s nine quarterly public service targets was to have 20,000 fewer people who are the victim of assault, robbery, or sexual assault.
However, a crime and victims survey shows almost 30,000 more Kiwis have been the victims of such offending.
“Our Government reinstated targets to focus our public sector on driving better results for New Zealanders in health, education, law and order, work, housing, and the environment by 2030,” Luxon says.
“The targets we set were deliberately ambitious and the results from the first quarter confirm that they will be challenging to achieve, but it’s a challenge our Government is up for.
“We’re making particularly good progress on emergency housing, with the results showing the Government is outperforming previous forecasts.
“Our plan to get children and families out of motels and into a home is working. As of June, there’s been a 34 per cent reduction in the number of households in emergency housing and since then there has been further improvement.”
But things aren’t going so well when it comes to law and order.
“Of particular concern is violent crime, with the results showing that almost 30,000 more people have experienced violent crime based on the New Zealand Crime and Victims Survey which shows people’s experience from up to two years ago,” Luxon says.
“It adds fresh weight to previous data from police, which showed a concerning rise in reports of violent crime in recent years.
“It’s also further proof the previous soft-on-crime approach has emboldened offenders and created a crime wave that will take a much tougher approach to stop.
“That’s why our Government is taking action to hold offenders accountable through tougher sentences.
“Victims and the public lose faith in the justice system when criminals receive such hefty discounts to their sentences that they don’t reflect the harm caused.
“We will soon be introducing legislation to cap sentence discounts at 40 per cent, with an open mind to going even further.
“In addition to tougher sentences, we are also increasing the number of cops on the beat, giving police more powers to crack down on gangs, and addressing serious young offenders.”
The nine Government Targets to be delivered by 2030 are:
- Shorter stays in emergency departments: 95 per cent of patients to be admitted, discharged, or transferred from an emergency department within six hours.
- Shorter wait times for (elective) treatment: 95 per cent of people wait less than four months for elective treatment.
- Reduced child and youth offending: 15 per cent reduction in the total number of children and young people with serious and persistent offending behaviour.
- Reduced violent crime: 20,000 fewer people who are victims of an assault, robbery, or sexual assault.
- Fewer people on the Jobseeker Support Benefit: 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support Benefit.
- Increased student attendance: 80 per cent of students are present for more than 90 per cent of the term.
- More students at expected curriculum levels: 80 per cent of Year 8 students at or above the expected curriculum level for their age in reading, writing and maths by December 2030.
- Fewer people in emergency housing: 75 per cent reduction of households in emergency housing.
- Reduced net greenhouse gas emissions: On track to meet New Zealand’s 2050 net zero climate change targets, with total net emissions of no more than 290 megatonnes from 2022 to 2025 and 305 megatonnes from 2026 to 2030.
