National vs Labour: Law & Order, Transport & Welfare Policies compared

In a final wrap-up of the policy comparisons between National and Labour I’ve decided to submit a ‘mega-post’ which covers the remaining big topics: Law & Order, Transport & Welfare. I have decided to cut the analysis and stick to the cold hard facts to make this potentially enormous post more palpable and useful for readers. Without further delay here is what they’re proposing:

ELECTION 2011: Law & Order

• Labour will likely repeal the ‘Three Strikes’ law
• Labour is pledging to treat low-level crime seriously
• Labour will eliminate prison sentences less than six months long
• Labour is against private-owned prisons
• They will turn 62 one-man police stations into two-man stations as part of hiring an extra 145 policemen over four years

• National will keep the ‘three-strikes’ policy
• National is pledging to use more pre-parole screening
• They will enact higher penalties for child pornography
• They will toughen serious sentences, especially when concerned with violence against children
• They propose random drug tests for those on community sentences or bail
• They’ve pledged $500,000 for safer homes for victims of family violence
• They want Civil Detention Centres to hold the worst offenders until Parole Board deems them safe for release

ELECTION 2011: Transport

•  Labour oppose widening Roads of National Significance (RONS) programme
• Labour will scrap the building of the $1.7b ‘holiday highway’
• Labour will pay half of Auckland’s $2.4b central rail tunnel
• Support a Hamilton to Auckland commuter train and maintain rail links for freight
• Reduce the alcohol limit for adult drivers from 80mg to 50mg of alcohol per 100mils of blood

• National will evaluate four more highway projects to add to the seven-strong RONS programme
• Extend exemption from road user charges for fully electric cars until 2020
• Introduce tougher restricted licence tests
• Continue SuperGold Card funding
• Complete Auckland rail electrification
• National will also continue support for the $4.6b KiwiRail ‘turnaround’ plan

ELECTION 2011: Welfare

• Labour will pay dole for a year to employers to take on 3000 apprentices (aged 18-19)
• They will also raise pay for beneficiaries with kids by $60 a week by 2018
• Labour will scrap the sole-parent work test
• Labour will offer six months paid parental leave by 2015
• Lastly, they will require schools to report all school-leavers to support agencies

• National is offering free polytechnic training for 2500 people under 18, which will increase to 7500 next year
• National is proposing eight trades academies rising to twenty
• They will require schools to refer school leavers to work training
• They will require sole parents to seek work part-time when their youngest child turns five
• National will pay youth benefits by card (which restricts alcohol and cigarette purchases) rather than by cash

So there you go. The last National vs Labour policy review of the year. I hope you found the posts useful if not interesting as I know policy can be a dry subject.