Minister supports scrapping of yellow sticker scheme

Youth Affairs Minister Laila Harré welcomes the New Zealand Police's decision to discontinue its controversial Under- 25 yellow sticker scheme.

Police today announced that they will not continue to promote the scheme, a decision that follows the release of a Human Rights Commission report.

The HRC's investigation was sparked by a number of complaints on the discriminatory nature of the scheme.

The HRC found that the yellow sticker scheme discriminated on the basis of age and would be in breach of section 19 of the Bill of Rights Act.

The NZ Police would have been protected from further action because government agencies are exempt from the Act until 2001.

"I applaud the Police's decision to drop the scheme in light of this report," said Laila Harré.

"This is a great day for young New Zealanders, and I'm very happy that the Police made a decision that respects young people's rights."

"They could have chosen to ignore the Human Rights Commission's report. The fact that they haven't shows they have listened to the voices of the many young people opposed to the scheme," said Laila Harré.

"The Yellow Sticker campaign discriminated against young people. It was based on the premise that every young person under 25 is a potential thief. This is not the kind of programme that builds a healthy relationship between young people and the police or between young people and the rest of the community"

"The Police's decision will only do positive things for these important relationships.

Laila Harré has opposed the scheme since its introduction, and has worked closely with the young people who have campaigned to see it ended.

"Full credit must go to the young people around New Zealand who have worked so hard to see an end to the scheme. Their victory today is proof that if young people band together they can counter some of the still too prevalent forms of age-based discrimination."