Nats’ Victorian-era views

The Government intends to restore voting rights to people in prison whose sentences are for under three years, in an endeavour to help them return to society and not end up back in prison. In my view, this is an enlightened policy and to be welcomed.

However, the National Party, which removed all prisoners’ voting rights in 2010, opposes this and has vowed to again ban all prisoners from voting.

It is well past time that National’s policies on crime and punishment abandoned Victorian-era ideas and embraced the 21st century.

Judicial reformers in an earlier National Party like Ralph Hanan would be horrified at the current National Party’s harsh and punitive policies. After all, these inmates will be released soon and need all the help we can give them to rehabilitate back into society.

Bill Nairn, Trentham

Justice Minister Andrew Little will restore the right of some prisoners to vote. That reverses the limitations on those affected by the Electoral (Disqualification of Convicted Prisoners) Amendment Act enacted by the National-led government in 2010.

Chris Finlayson, attorney-general in that government, reported to Parliament that the bill was inconsistent with the Bill of Rights Act. Subsequently, in 2015, the High Court adjudged the same, which was upheld by the Court of Appeal after an appeal by Finlayson.

Little is to be commended for addressing issues raised by an attorneygeneral and confirmed by two of our senior courts. I look forward to the Bill of Rights Act (1990) being given primacy over other legislation. Toothless laws are useless laws.

Steve Farrow, Wilton