National plan for life to mean life

National is poised to drive a stake in the ground over law and order with a plan to put the worst murderers behind bars for life.

It is also planning a "two strikes" policy denying parole to repeat violent offenders.

The moves ratchet up the law-and- order debate after a string of high- profile violent crimes.

The most recent was the killing of 44-year-old office worker Austin Hemmings as he tried to protect a stranger as she was attacked on an Auckland street.

National leader John Key is expected to announce today his two-pronged plan for dealing with the worst violent offenders.

The first part of the plan will be to scrap parole for criminals convicted a second time of any violent offence attracting a prison sentence of five or more years. After their release, they will be monitored for a fixed term.

The types of violent crime targeted include attempted murder, kidnapping, sexual violence, manslaughter, serious assaults, aggravated burglary and robbery.

But the most controversial move will be National's plan to put some murderers behind bars for life. Anyone convicted of murder who has previously received a prison sentence of five years or more for violence will be denied any opportunity for parole, meaning they will spend the rest of their life in prison.

Mr Key will say that 10 murderers sentenced since 2002 would have spent the rest of their life in prison under National's plan - including Graeme Burton, Liam Ashley's killer George Baker, RSA triple killer William Bell and tourist Birgit Brauer's killer, Michael Wallace.

The Government argues that it has already stiffened sentencing and parole laws and, as a consequence, the prison muster has risen by 71 per cent, or 3300 prisoners - a result of prisoners serving longer sentences.

Cabinet minister Phil Goff told TV One's Agenda programme yesterday that New Zealand had one of the highest prison populations in the Western world.

Some of the longest minimum non-parole sentences recently handed down include:

33 years for William Bell.

28 years for Bruce Howse, who killed his stepdaughters Saliel Aplin and Olympia Jetson.

26 years' preventive detention for Graeme Burton, who went on a shooting rampage while on parole for an earlier murder.

But National expects its plans to boost prison populations by 572 inmates, costing an extra $314 million for a new prison and $43 million more a year in operating costs.

It is the first of two big-ticket items expected to be revealed by National this week - its tax cut package on Wednesday is expected to surpass Labour's $10.9 billion package of tax cuts, which are being phased in from this month.

In contrast to the past few elections, when politicians have been able to make big-ticket promises because of bulging government surpluses, parties will be constrained by the state of the Government's books.

The Treasury is due to release its pre-election fiscal update today and it is expected to make grim reading, as growth and revenue forecasts are slashed and fiscal deficits and rising government debt are revealed.

- © Fairfax NZ News