- By Parmjeet Parmar, Pakuranga-based ACT List MP
On Monday I visited with the family of Gurdeep Singh, the father and jeweller recovering from an appalling assault by masked robbers in Papatoetoe.
Gurdeep’s strength, and the bravery of his son who chased the criminals out of the store, and the love of his family, is inspiring.
But my visit made me fear for every retailer in New Zealand, and east Auckland is certainly not immune from ram-raids, burglaries, and knife attacks.
Businesses I visit are spending thousands on drastic measures to protect themselves from crime.
In Howick we have seen dairy owners construct a steel cage around the counter to protect themselves from armed robbers. I understand why, but it breaks my heart to see this becoming normalised in New Zealand.
I am every week approached by workers and business owners who fear for themselves and their families.
They are demanding action on crime, and they are right to do so.
Labour spent six years making excuses for criminals. Now with ACT in Government, we have initiated action to put the rights of victims first.
But given the democratic process, only certain parts of our programme have passed into law, and even those actions will take time to have visible effects.
We have abolished Labour’s prisoner reduction target and secured funding for 810 more prison beds.
We have ended funding for ‘cultural reports’ written for judges to excuse criminals for their actions.
We have made gang membership an aggravating factor at sentencing.
But we must still pass legislation to ensure that if someone is attacked while working sole charge, or while working in a business attached to the family home, that is made an aggravating factor too.
Legislation to restore Three Strikes for violent offenders must pass three readings in Parliament, with public consultation.
And my ACT colleague Karen Chhour has announced a new Young Serious Offender declaration that gives the Youth Court and police more options to hold serious and persistent young offenders accountable, including sending them to military-style academies.
I know that announcements of legislation for debate provide little comfort for communities desperate for immediate results.
I am committed to amplifying the voices of victims and working with the ACT team to inject urgency and strength into the coalition Government’s approach to law and order. I hope you will hold us to account.
