Key accused of flip-flop over tougher youth sentences

Relevant offers

Politics

Shake-up heading in EQC's direction Will bill make food safer or be a form of control? Brownlee turns up heat on council over rebuild Agency mulled to run emergency 111 system MPs' travel bills leap during election Remedial work for navy's problem ship Wait for new oil law before awarding permits, Govt urged TVNZ included in police Electoral Act investigation Today in politics: Monday, February 13 Mana activist on mission to Antarctica

The Government is accusing National Party leader John Key of another flip flop – this time for opposing legislation that increases Youth Court penalties.

The Children Young Persons and Their Families Amendment Bill, which brings 17-year-olds under the jurisdiction of the Youth Court and extends the maximum length of residential orders from three to six months, passed its first reading today.

However, National today voted against the bill despite Mr Key saying in his January state of the nation speech that it was "long overdue".

Mr Key has tried to clear up the apparent contradiction by saying National supports extending the maximum length of supervision orders and would enact such a provision itself, but disagrees with other aspects of the bill.

But Social Development Minister Ruth Dyson said Mr Key had changed his position.

"Despite John Key promising the public only a few weeks ago that he wanted to make changes to Youth Court orders, the National Party has said they will vote against this legislation, in yet another flip flop on policy."

The bill's second reading, after it has gone to a select committee, could be a close call with it only just clearing its first hurdle today 59 votes to 56.

National, New Zealand First and Gordon Copeland opposed the bill, but six MPs – ACT, United Future and two Maori MPs – did not cast a vote.

They could hold the key to the bill's eventual fate.

National's associate welfare spokesman Chester Borrows today said the main problem with the bill was its extension of Youth Court jurisdiction to 17-year-olds.

Mr Borrows said many people that age already had adult responsibilities such as full time jobs, yet the Government was asking Parliament to treat them as children.

Provisions in the bill that allowed youths as young as 14 to be commuted to the District Court also did not go far enough.

Under the bill those charged with purely indictable offences such as arson, rape and aggravated robbery could be transferred, but it would not cover serious assault charges or youths who had committed a series of assaults, he said.

Ms Dyson has said treating 17-year-olds as children is necessary to meet New Zealand's obligations under the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child.

The bill also extends the maximum length of supervision following a residential order to a year, removes the need for youths to consent to being put on a supervision with activity order and extends protection for people who "dob in" child abusers.

- NZPA