Cripes!

Cuddling criminals
Moronic Corrections Minister latest pipe-dream is (half) open prisons allowing "low-risk" prisoners to visit home on weekends. This, from the same idiotic administration that gave us early parole and the home detention scheme - both resounding failures, both in direct contrast to the 1999 referendum calling for tougher sentencing. There are no "low-risk" offenders in prison. 'Minor' infractions of law (misdemeanours) are called Summary Offences, as distinct from Indictable Offences which nearly always require imprisonment. If you are imprisoned, chances are, it wasn't for a minor summary offence. You most certainly aren't a first time offender as the Diversion Scheme would rule out incarceration. In short, you need to be a repeat, long-term, or serious offender to get jail time. Simon Power is correct to note:

"low-risk prisoners were responsible for most of the more than 4000 parole and bail breaches in the past year"

And these are the scumbags our Minister wants to unleash, all to save money because of spiralling prison costs. If plan goes ahead, let's hear no grumblings from hapless victims in urban centres when crime rates soar. You voted for a Labour Govt, you got it! Now deal with the consequences of their misguided namby-pamby liberalism!

Beware pushy Socialists diguised as Child Activists!
Shameless freeloading jetsetter aka terrible Governor General weighs in on child abuse debate the msm are cheering in support of Sue Bradford's Anti-smacking Bill. A cynic might say Dame Sylvia's merely a lobbyist for another of our ever proliferating grievance industries. It's the 10th Annual Conference on Child abuse, and surprise, surprise:

"internationally, child abuse reports had increased dramatically over the last 10 years, & NZ was no exception to this trend"

She spouts mouthfuls of 'suspected' abuse figures & meaningless stats with no contextual background. Expresses deep concern but offers no solutions. She rightly condemns the deaths of our kids murdered by caregivers, but is strangely silent on annual 18,000 kiwi babies sacrificed on altar of abortion. The whole conference imo is just another gaseous loon-fest of militant academics, crack pot bureaucrats, do-gooder activists & pushy social workers. The point is to invent a catastrophe (like global warming), proclaim oneself an 'expert', extract funds for pet research projects, manipulate findings to support cause, broadcast alarmist statistics through compliant media, then demand change to implement one's objectives lest doom laden scenario eventuate. This example represents a confluence of left wing interests; Bradford, the GG, Labour & the NZHerald are all keen on Nanny State stopping you from smacking your kids. Expect tons more child abuse/ domestic horror stories get major media airplay while Anti-smacking Bill's up for vote.