Labour’s credentials as a crime-loving party are in safe hands:

The three strikes law is “silly”, doesn’t work, and will be dismantled next year, Justice Minister Andrew Little says.

“It’s been on the statute books for eight years now,” Little told the Herald. “Our serious offending rate is rising, our prison population is rising. Throwing people into prison for longer and longer just isn’t working.”

However, repealing it was not in the Government’s 100-day plan.

“It will be some time next year, I imagine. It’s a silly law anyway, but I want to make sure when we do get rid of it, we can say, ‘Here is our plan to reduce serious offending rates’.”

The three strikes law was passed in 2010 and applies to 40 serious sexual or violent offences.

The first-strike conviction results in a normal sentence and a warning, the second in a sentence without parole and a final warning, and the third in the maximum sentence for that offence without parole – though parole eligibility can be granted if a judge deems the sentence manifestly unjust.

The latest Ministry of Justice figures up to July 2017 show that 8503 offenders were on a first warning, 216 were on a final warning, and two have been convicted of a third strike.

216 get a free pass, and 8,503 now have no further incentive not to be braindead idiots and do it again.

As you can see by the numbers, the law is working very well as a deterrent.

This is just spite.   They will destroy Three Strikes.  They will destroy Charter Schools.  ACT’s nine years will have come to nothing at all.

The nasty party are back.   And they can’t wait to break things.