So out of touch

Radio NZ reports:

Green MP Tamatha Paul is doubling down on her comments that a “visible police presence” makes people feel “more on edge.” …

The Wellington Central MP said she’d received “nothing but complaints” about police beat patrols.

Paul told the event people in Wellington didn’t want to see police officers everywhere, and “for a lot of people, it makes them feel less safe”.

This is a great example of how out of touch the Greens are with average New Zealanders. I’m sure all her friends do dislike seeing the Police, but the vast majority of NZers do not.

In fact the latest Crime and Victims Survey found only 2% of NZers had no trust and confidence in the Police and 83% believe the Police conduct themselves professionally.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Paul’s comments were “outrageous and insane”, and police were out there doing an “incredible job.”

Insane is a good description of her advocacy to defund police and abolish prisons.

Hipkins said her comments were “ill-informed, were unwise, in fact were stupid”.

“I don’t think responsible members of parliament should be undermining the police in that way, I think the New Zealand public have huge confidence in the New Zealand police and they should have.”

Nice to see Luxon and Hipkins agree that the Greens are barmy.

Mitchell pointed to Wellington Central as an example of the success of beat policing.

“We’ve seen a 5.5% decrease in violent crime in the area that the Beat Team is deployed, compared to a 2% drop nationally,” the minister said.

He said the Greens “don’t believe in our police or prisons”.

I think the Greens believe in hugs.