June 19, 2023
Luxon demands extra sentences for gang members
National Party leader Chris Luxon wants a two tier justice system, with tougher sentences for gang members.
He says his message is simple – don’t be a criminal and don’t be a gang member.
He cites recent incidents including a brawl in Palmerston North that had bystanders sheltering in a cafe, and last week’s tangi for a gang leader in Opotiki where schools chose to close as a precautionary measure.
“So what we saw in Opotiki, yes I appreciate there was a family suffering a loss and they needed a right to grieve, that’s perfectly reasonable and fine, but why on earth should other New Zealanders be massively inconveniences and mucked around because gangs came to town. Unacceptable,” Mr Luxon says.
Mr Luxon says there has been a 30 percent increase in violent crime, but Police says the introduction of new family violence offences in December 2018 resulted in a change the the way crime was reported.