Retail crime advisory group spends $500k in three months
Photo:
RNZ / Mark Papalii
The justice minister is defending a half-million dollar spend-up in 100 days by the government's retail crime advisory group, saying the group has come up with ideas the government will implement to better deal with retail crime.
The Labour Party says it is a hard sum of money to stomach, and that ideas the group came up had previously been dismissed as being too dangerous.
But the group's chair says its budget is strictly managed and controlled, and he had robust checks and accountability measures in place.
The government has announced a suite of law-and-order reforms designed to crack down on retail crime, including on-the-spot fines for shoplifters, citizen's arrest powers, and toughened trespass laws.
The reforms were suggested by the ministerial advisory group, chaired by Sunny Kaushal.
Answering a parliamentary question from Labour's police spokesperson Ginny Andersen, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said the Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) for Victims of Retail Crime had spent $507,468.71 from 1 March to 10 June.
On Tuesday, Goldsmith told media the MAG's budget was $1.8m a year, so it was under budget.
"The point of the advisory group is to come up with well-thought-through, oven-ready legislation for us to get on with, and that's what they've done," he said.
However, some of the policies still needed time to work through before the bill is introduced, or during the select committee process.
When announcing the trespass law changes, Goldsmith said the government would explore how best to support retailers when distributing notices to those who refuse to engage.
He also said the precise details on the use of facial recognition or CCTV to identify shoplifters would be "argued out" over the select committee process.
Andersen said it was unclear why that amount of money had been spent by the group.
She said when she was police minister, Kaushal had come to her suggesting a citizen's arrest policy, but it was dismissed as police had advised it was dangerous.
"It does seem an exorbitant amount for ideas that were given to our government for free, and ideas that have been advised as dangerous," she said.
Goldsmith, however, said he was confident the group had done what it was set up to do, and criticised Labour for not implementing such ideas.
"A lot of them weren't taken up because their government was frankly soft on crime and they weren't actually listening and making the changes that needed to be made."
Kaushal said the group operated under a clearly defined and stringently managed operating budget, controlled and overseen by the Ministry of Justice's finance team.
"In line with public expectations around the responsible use of funds, I have robust checks and accountability measures in place across all areas of expenditure," he said.
Kaushal said the group's "strict cost control and efficient operations" had already delivered a significant savings underspending from its allocated annual operating budget.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
17 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Man found dead on bus in central Auckland
Police said the death is not being treated as suspicious. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi A man has been found dead on a bus in central Auckland . The body of an unresponsive man was located at about 5.35am Thursday at the Halsey Street Depot, with attempts to revive him unsuccessful, police said. An investigation is underway to identify the man. Police said the death is not being treated as suspicious and will be referred to the Coroner. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
25 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Closure of Toi Ohomai's Tokoroa campus will 'condemn another generation to poverty', mayor says
The Pūkenga Rau building where Toi Ohomai is currently in Tokoroa. Photo: South Waikato Investment Fund Trust / SUPPLIED The mayor of South Waikato says the district will be "condemned to another generation of poverty" if Toi Ohomai's Tokoroa campus closes. The polytechnic provider is to exit Te Pūkenga and re-enter regional governance from the beginning of next year, but said to meet the government's financial expectations the Tokoroa campus may have to go. Mayor Gary Petley said South Waikato already ranked among the five-most deprived communities in New Zealand. "We don't have the luxury of skipping a generation, what do we do with that?" he said. South Waikato's recent long term plan shows 23 percent of 15-24 year-olds were not currently employed or in the education or training system, one of the highest levels in the country. "There is no shortage of research and evidence that tells us a critical factor in efforts to lift people out of those statistical categories, and out of deprivation, is to invest in education," Petley said. Mayor of South Waikato Gary Petley said Tokoroa was a community in need. Photo: Libby Kirkby-McLeod / RNZ Toi Ohomai executive director Kieran Hewitson said the organisation acknowledged the deep concern surrounding the proposed closure of its Tokoroa campus. "This decision has not been made lightly. The proposal reflects a need to ensure the organisation remains financially viable and sustainable, as expected by the Government. "Declining student numbers, rising operational costs, and reduced income have made it increasingly difficult to maintain multiple campuses, including Tokoroa." Petley said if a government-funded education provider could not afford to operate in an area such as South Waikato then it needed more money, not to retreat from a community in need. "This is a short-sighted and lazy decision driven by Te Pūkenga's (the national network for all the country's 25 polytechnics) need to find $9m in savings. "They are taking the easy way out, rather than finding other ways to achieve operational savings and to become sustainable, and it's come at the detriment of the people of South Waikato." Te Hautū Kahurangi Tertiary Education Union branch co-leaders for Rotorua, Santana Ammunson and Ashton Ledger, said in a statement that not having a Tokoroa campus would be devastating for communities within the South Waikato district, undermining years of hard work to establish the South Waikato Trades Training Centre. "It would erect new barriers to learning where progress had been made under Te Pūkenga (e.g. transport, technology-enabled learning, internet connectivity), and significantly reduce locally accessible opportunities for public vocational education and training which provide strong pathways to secure employment." The news of the proposed closure came just weeks after the district lost 150 jobs when the Kinleith Pulp and Paper Mill ceased paper production. The Kinleith Pulp and Paper Mill. (File photo) Photo: Libby Kirkby-McLeod "We're just smashed again," Petley said. Ammunson and Ledger agreed the decision to close the campus would cause significant detriment to a community already reeling from the closure of the Kinleith Mill. Hewitson said Toi Ohomai recognised Tokoroa's unique challenges, including its high proportion of youth not in education, employment, or training. "However, the decision is not a reflection of the community's value or potential. Rather, it is a response to the urgent need to focus limited resources where they can have the greatest impact," she said. Hewitson said Toi Ohomai would continue to support learners in the region, but it might not be through a traditional campus setting. This was unwelcome news to the mayor who said it was only two years ago that the council, government, Trust Waikato, and the South Waikato Investment Fund Trust (SWIFT) invested heavily in a building to house Toi Ohomai's Tokoroa campus. "You can understand how disappointed we were to find that out after contributing money into that space to help develop that facility that was purposely built for that, and it only just got past two years," said Petley. SWIFT owns the Pūkenga Rau building where Toi Ohomai is currently a tenant. Chief Executive Clive Somerville said the goal of the building was to be a community facility for equipping young people and older residents with valuable skills that support workforce development. "SWIFT's relationship, and our wider community's relationship, with Toi Ohomai is pivotal in delivering on our outcomes." He said as Pūkenga Rau owner and landlord, SWIFT's next steps were to work closely with the Crown, as leaseholder for Toi Ohomai, to understand its intentions for the South Waikato. Ammunson and Ledger from the Tertiary Education Union said the government had generated a lot of 'fuss' around the financial viability of institutions and pushed all of them into a rush to right-size. "The closure of regional campuses was not what we anticipated under a government that claims to be returning decision-making to the regions and shaping a regionally-responsive and sustainable vocational education and training system. It's all dollars and no sense." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
an hour ago
- RNZ News
Mother Frances Latu-Vailea killed in Waiuku crash leaves behind three children including young baby
The crash site where three people died in a fatal accident on Masters Road, Waiuku. Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel A mother killed in a triple-fatal crash alongside her young daughter and niece has left behind three children including her eight-week-old baby. Frances Latu-Vailea, her five-year-old daughter Oneahi Vailea and seven-year-old niece Marly Tulua died when their car left Masters Road and crashed into a culvert in wetland on Tuesday afternoon. A Givealittle page set up for the families said the "devastating accident" had left Latu-Vailea's husband suddenly widowed and the sole caregiver for their three sons, aged eight weeks, two, and 12. "We are raising funds to support both grieving families during this unthinkable time," the page said. The page said the money would help give Latu-Vailea's husband time to grieve without the burden of immediate financial pressures such as the mortgage and household bills. It would also provide essential support as he "navigates caring for their young boys and processing such an unimaginable loss", it said. Donations would also help support Tulua's family who are "also mourning deeply while caring for their own young baby and facing the pain of losing Marly, Frances, and Oneahi". "No words can ease the pain, but your kindness and support can help lighten the heavy load these families are carrying right now," the Givealittle page said. "Any contribution, big or small, will make a difference." Latu-Vailea worked as a court registry officer, and the head of the Ministry of Justice said staff were devastated at the sudden death of their colleague. Chief executive Andrew Kibblewhite said Latu-Vailea was a court registry officer for the Family Court, primarily based at Pukekohe District Court. He said she worked in many locations including North Shore, Manukau and Papakura, and the tragedy would have a huge impact on many people. Kibblewhile said he and his staff offered their deepest condolences to Latu-Vailea's immediate and extended family. "We are all thinking of Frances' family, and our wider Auckland kaimahi, and offering our support during this very difficult time," he said. The crash site where three people died in a fatal accident on Masters Road, Waiuku. Photo: RNZ/Calvin Samuel The deaths have also sent shockwaves through the tight-knit Waiuku community. "It's pretty devastating actually. It's a small town, most people know someone who knows them if they don't know them themselves," local Jennie Tapp said. "The fact that it was a woman and two children, it just blows your mind." Another resident Inga Anja Noom said Masters Road had a bad reputation. "We all feel sick because usually in a small town like this everyone knows somebody and it's a horrible stretch of road and it's not the first and it probably won't be the last. But yeah, no, it's heartbreaking." Noom said it was particularly dangerous in wet weather. "It's quite narrow, it's windy in the start up to it and then it's just one long stretch with humps in the road and bridges and stuff," she said. "And with weather like this in wintertime, the creeks are completely full on either side, it's really bad." Locals say the narrow, bumpy road will continue causing accidents until speed limits are enforced . Masters Road falls on the border between Auckland and Waikato and was a concern for both regions' councillors. Waikato district councillor Peter Thomson said it was often used as a shortcut around the more tightly managed main road between Waiuku and Pukekohe. "I've heard that it's been used as a bypass to the Waiuku-Pukekohe road, so people can feel that they can travel faster on this road rather than the Pukekohe-Waiuku road, which has got a number of speed cameras on it and is only 80 [kilometres per hour]," he said. Andy Baker, the councillor for Auckland's Franklin Ward which contained Waiuku, said the road was narrow and bumpy. "This road is predominantly straight, it runs from both ends, it's basically a straight line but it's very undulating and from what I can see where the crash was, it's in a dip, and there's a lot of trees around," Baker said. Masters Road sign, the road where three people died in a fatal accident. Photo: RNZ/Marika Khabazi But Baker said it was too early to determine if the road was a factor in the fatal crash. "I think it's a little bit premature maybe to say the road's at fault here or there's an issue with the road," he said. "I know that some locals have been concerned about some things, whether they were contributing to the crash, we won't know until the Serious Crash Unit do their report and eventually it'll run through a coroner's court." Resident Noom said Masters Road still needed speed cameras like the main Waiuku-Pukekohe road. "Well if they're going to do it on one side, they'll probably have to do it the other, and everyone will hate me saying that but this is what's happening," she said. "We had a crash there two weeks ago, they walked away from that one. We had a death there last year and it won't be the last." She said the crashes would continue until motorists were given a reason to slow down.
