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Summarised by Centrist
Labour, the Greens, and Te Pāti Māori have lashed out at the coalition’s plan to reinstate a full ban on prisoner voting even for those serving short sentences.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon dismissed their outrage, saying: “I do not care what anyone else says about it.”
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith confirmed Cabinet’s decision to reverse Labour’s 2020 law change, which had restored voting rights to prisoners serving less than three years.
The government’s move ignores prior recommendations from the High Court, Electoral Commission and Waitangi Tribunal.
Labour’s Duncan Webb accused the coalition of “dog whistle politics.”
Te Pāti Māori labelled the policy “shameful,” accusing the government of “knowingly disenfranchising Māori.”
However, support for the change is strong outside Parliament. The Sensible Sentencing Trust welcomed the move, saying voting is a privilege of contributing citizens, not those serving time for harming others. “Why are we giving those rights back to them while they’re in prison?” asked spokesperson Louise Parsons. “They’ve had their say, and they haven’t contributed to our society.”
Parsons said offenders can vote when they’re out, but not while they’re being held accountable. “We’ve had a very, very woke government for the past six years, and we’re all living with the damage of that now.”
