Paulo Garcia: National MP on the new bill designed to criminalise 'coward punches'

UFC star Israel Adesanya has thrown his support behind a new bill criminalising 'coward punches'.

The bill would amend the Crimes Act to criminalise strikes to the head or neck in situations where the victim is not able to defend themselves.

It would also amend the definition of murder in the Act if someone were to die from a coward punch.

National MP Paulo Garcia first introduced the bill, and he says clear legal consequences will be a good deterrent to stopping these attacks.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
This is a big story. UFC staff Israel outisagnya. He's
throwing his support behind a bill to criminalize coward punches.
He is a little bit of what he had to sound.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
Soo this Israel. I signed your hair. And even though
I'm fighting on the other side of the globe, our
following brothers and fal Vake are never far from my thoughts.
So this bill is now being brought up in parliament.
When it comes to the coward punch, and yes it's
a cowardly act, I need you guys to really rally

(00:47):
up and support this bill. We need to make the
punishment fit the crime when it comes to the coward punch,
so these guys can't get off in six months after
committing a heinous crime that can kill someone. Yeah, let's
eliminate this from our culture. Let's eliminate this from our
streets because this is not us. So please, when this
bill comes up, make sure you rally up and support

(01:10):
this bill.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
So that was UFC star Israel at Assagna. Of course,
now the bill has been introduced to Parliament, and the
MP that introduced it is National's Newland MP Paulo Garcia,
who joins us now grafternoon. Paula, Hello, Tyler and Matt,
how are you today?

Speaker 4 (01:28):
And why does this need to be a specific a
specific criminal offense the coward punch?

Speaker 5 (01:37):
You know, everything in the Crimes Act that has to
do with hurting someone requires the proof of intent. And
in the situation where someone hits someone, you know, with
a strong strike and you know, oneting to put him

(02:00):
down or or at the spur of a moment of
the moment, then finding intent and moving intent is a
difficult thing. So because of it's you know, it's happening
a lot now, it's been happening over the past ten
years or more, and things like what Israel was saying,

(02:24):
we need to put us up to it.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
It was introduced a similar bill to yours, Paulo, introduced
by former National NP Met King. I believe about three
or four years ago. It didn't pass at that time.
Have you got full confidence it is going to pass
this time? And if you do, why do you think
it's different?

Speaker 5 (02:43):
You know that's correct. Matt King was the first National
MP who put this out, It's been passed on to
other MPs, and when it was picked it was in
my name already. I think that the issues raised in
the time in the first reading during Matt's time, we're

(03:04):
we're we're aware of them, and we've simplified the bill
as well. So I am hoping that more people, more
more MPs will accross the House actually see see to

(03:24):
getting this through.

Speaker 4 (03:27):
Do you think that people would think before they act
in this way if this becomes a specific criminal offense,
or do you think people that do these kind of
horribly horrible, cowardly acts are in a state of rage
or intoxication. Do you think that actually go, well, this
is a specific criminal offense, so I'm not going to
commit this horrific act.

Speaker 5 (03:48):
Yes, you know, it won't stop everyone for sure, because
people you know, as you said, get intoxicated and or
they're they're they're acting in the in the moment and
won't be thinking straight. But the awareness of it and
the clarity key of the results should they have done

(04:14):
something like that that fits into the bill, into what
we hope will be legislation. The simplicity of getting to them,
I think would be a major deterance.

Speaker 4 (04:26):
Now, the last time this was brought up, Labor did
not support the bill because they believe that legislation and
that we have the judges to make the call and
the serious can head assaults. So do you don't believe
that the judges are making those calls?

Speaker 5 (04:44):
I think that many times it's difficult to make the
call because if you're having to prove intent again, it's
not something that is readily you know, uh, supported by
evidence or accounts or CCTV or whatever. So I think

(05:05):
we want to give the judges a clear pathway to
consider this new legislation and use that in the those circumstances.

Speaker 4 (05:16):
So how is support looking for it? Do you think
it'll get through this time?

Speaker 5 (05:21):
I know that the National Party Caucus supports it. I
am hoping that New Zealand First will come on board
as well, this was mentioned in the coalition agreement. Also
hoping that our colleagues in the Act Party and actually
across the whole across the floor. I appeal to all

(05:46):
MPs to consider and and and and and say.

Speaker 1 (05:50):
Yes to it.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
Paulo, thank you very much for your time, Really good
to chat with you and all the beast for the Bill.

Speaker 5 (05:57):
Hey, thanks so much, guys, I'm I'm a fan. Love
being here, Thank you.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
Thank you very much. There is National's new len im
p Parlo Gacia who's trying to push this bill through
on the coward punch legislation. Do you think there's any
fishalks in this particular legislation.

Speaker 4 (06:14):
Yeah, I mean I think that they're one of the
greatest rebrandings of all time is rebranding the King Hit
to the coward Punch. I think there was a fantastic move,
and I hope that that's out there that you know,
anyone that does this cowardly act gets shamed by the
people around them, But it does seem like a very
specifically dangerous thing to do, compared to hitting someone front

(06:38):
on or attacking someone front on. I mean, all assaults
are terrible, what most assaults are terrible, But just punching
someone running up to someone while they're on the street
and punching them from behind is just so incredibly cowardly
and dangerous. And you know, we've seen a lot of
people lose their lives in this country around it.

Speaker 1 (06:56):
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