Annette King blames the moon and the sun

Good God, Annette King seems to be determined to destroy her formerly excellent reputation.  I doubt even George Hawkins would be as insensitive as to blame the tide of murders in January on the “full moon” and “hot summer”.

Even worse it appears she made her comments at the scene of a shoot-out in South Auckland.  She actually stood at the very point teenagers and gang members were trying to gun each other down, and talked about the moon, the sun and the stresses of Christmas.

Simon Power says he is lost for words, but in fact is thanking Annette for a late Christmas present. He helpfully points out some more likely factors:

• The Justice Ministry says their youth offending team system is a shambles of confusion.
• The Reducing Youth Offending Programme, run with CYF and Corrections, collapsed after offending rates had not reduced after three years.
• Labour’s Ministers Group on the Youth Offending Strategy did not meet for three years.
• We are still waiting for the national truancy register they promised in 1999 and 2002.

A smart Minister can refer to stuff such as seasonal variations, but not as an excuse.  To say

They are not easy to address issues unless we ban Christmas and January

is ridicolous and insensitive.  I really do not think the full moon is why there was a gang shootout at a tinny house.