Labour goes soft on boy racers

Labour can expect to face anger and disappointment among voters, particularly in Canterbury, after stating it won't support the Vehicle Confiscation and Seizure Bill, Police Minister Judith Collins said today.

"Labour's dissenting minority report is littered with inaccuracies, showing its members on the Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee don't understand the Bill at all.

"They would do well to remember the incident which prompted this Bill - the January evening on which a lone Christchurch Police officer was ambushed by over 300 illegal street racers and shot at with an air rifle.

"It's this behaviour the public has had a gutsful of. And it's this kind of behaviour the Bill is designed to stop, because the current, Labour-written law is too weak - as Labour has acknowledged.

"Labour had repeatedly said the current law needs toughening up, that loopholes need to be closed and that boy racers be told in no uncertain terms their behaviour is not tolerated. Despite that, and despite the fact this is what the public wants, Labour doesn't seem to realise this Bill does exactly that.  

Labour's errors in its minority report include:

Claiming the Bill weakens the power of vehicle confiscation.

• Truth: The Bill adds to the current confiscation regime. The current law, where after one offence a judge can, and after two offences over four years a judge must, confiscate the vehicle remains set in stone.

Claiming fewer cars will be confiscated:

• Truth: This Bill, along with the Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Bill, closes loopholes relating to sham sales before confiscation and offenders using another person's car.  Therefore, there are likely to be many more cars confiscated.  The only reason there would be fewer confiscations would be if driving behaviour changed - and that would be a good thing.

Proposing amendments to reinstate mandatory confiscation of vehicles on the second offence.

• Truth: Existing confiscation provisions are not weakened.  An amendment to reinstate mandatory confiscation at second offence is not necessary as the Bill does not alter this provision

"Given this clears up a number of Labour's misconceptions, getting behind the rest of New Zealand and backing the Bill to stamp out illegal street racing shouldn't be difficult," says Ms Collins.

 Note: The full list of Labour's mistakes from its minority report, with correcting statements, is contained in the attachment.