(File) Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says discounting has led to light sentences for violent crimes. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Opposition parties are crying foul as the government toughens sentencing laws, arguing locking criminals up for longer won't work.
Coalition parties campaigned on a law and order crackdown and have now passed legislation they say will make the public feel safer.
"We've seen too many instances of people being convicted of serious violent offences, whether rape or serious assaults, and through a process of discounts ending up with very light sentences," Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said.
"It's quite appropriate for Parliament to send a clearer message to the judiciary that we want to restrict the ability for those sentences to be reduced."
The changes cap the discounts judges can apply during sentencing to 40 percent and scrap repeat discounts for youth and remorse.
There are three new aggravating factors: penalising offenders who target sole charge workers, those who aid and abet young people and those who livestream their crimes.
The changes also encourage longer sentences for people who offend on bail, in custody or on parole and implement a 'sliding scale' for early guilty pleas so an offender can only get a 5 percent discount if they change their plea to guilty during their trial.
Goldsmith said the changes should give the public more confidence the punishments being dished out by the courts fit the crimes.
"We've developed, sadly, in this country a culture of excuses for crime. That ends this week."
The law change was supported by National's coalition partners.
New Zealand First's Jamie Arbuckle heralded the end of the former Labour government's "soft on crime" approach in his speech during the legislation's third reading.
"This bill is going in the right direction. It restores real consequences for crime."
The ACT Party's Todd Stephenson said the changes would adjust sentences so they better reflect the public's expectations.
"This is not unorthodox. It's just a Parliament taking an interest in our justice system and what people have told us and what kinds of sentences the community expects to see for violent offenders."
Oppositon parties voted against the bill.
Labour's Duncan Webb criticised it as a short-sighted, "knee-jerk reaction" that won't fix anything.
(File) Labour's Duncan Webb. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
"There's a whole world of possible responses out there, but this government is saying no, just put them in prison for longer and that is the extent of their thinking around justice policy."
The Green Party's Tamatha Paul said longer prison sentences would only lead to tougher criminals.
"Rehabilitation is virtually non existent. You're sending people in there for a longer time to make more friends, to be better criminals. Well done. You've achieved something today."
Te Paati Māori's Tākuta Ferris said Māori would bear the brunt of the changes he said ignored the evidence and wider context of colonisation.
"Take personal responsibility they say, whilst ignoring the fact that they take no responsibility for the actions of successive governments in this country that are the root cause of the current poverty and justice settings we are dealing with in this country today."
The Ministry of Justice estimates the total cost of these changes after ten years could reach up to $150 million, as the prison muster grows by more than 1300.
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