Barry Soper: ZB senior political correspondent on the Government introducing new citizen’s arrest powers

The Justice Minister says it's not possible to have a police office on every corner, as he announces plans to beef up citizen's arrests. 

The Government is aiming to legislate proposals from a retail crime advisory group - letting businesses detain, restrain and use reasonable force against people stealing.

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper has some concerns about these new changes.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Barry Sophis. He has seen their political correspondent for news talks.
He be very good afternoon.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Good afternoon, right, great to have you here as always.

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Now, the powers of how do you feel about these
powers of arrest citizens arrest?

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Yeah, I'm not sure. I mean most countries in the world.
I looked up and had a look at doctor Google
and he tells me most countries in the world do
have a certain power of arrest for people in the
community to stop other people. But you know, people can
put themselves at risk. That is the thing that worries
me a bit. And the cops have always said, you know,

(00:33):
don't take the law into your own hands when it
comes to dealing with crime in particular. And some of
these people that walk into supermarkets are really pretty barely
looking guys. I mean, if it was Goldris Garriman, for example,
you remember she went into a shop and they asked her,

(00:54):
They asked her to open her bag, and she refused
and walked out. Well, you know, I'd be game enough
to stually grab the bag and have a lock in it,
which you could do under these.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Because I agree with you, I think you don't want
your default position to be everyone attacking everyone. Right, But
at the same time, when retail crime goes up eighty
five percent over the five year period, you literally don't
have enough cops.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
To two point seven billion dollars a year is lifted
from retailers around this country, which is shocked.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
You'll never have enough cops to fix that.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
And I heard your take on it. I'll tell you what.
Paul Goldsmith, our Minister of Justice, he says he's familiar
with the way supermarket thieves operate.

Speaker 3 (01:35):
And I've experienced with myself on a couple of occasions
with people just walking out of the supermarket, chased by security,
but ultimately they're not able to do anything and they
just have to watch while they take all their stuff
out of the trolley, put it into the car and
drive away. And it's not right. This change will force
nobody to do anything in terms of if they don't
want to, if a business is concerned, if they if

(01:55):
they have a policy that they don't want to intervene
in any circumstances, well that's up to them, or we'll
provide here is some tools that people can use if
the circumstances are right.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
And like I said, I it was a Garriman case,
you would do it, but you know, I think you'd
be reluctant to do it. It was a big burly
guy walking out with a loaded supermarket trolly, how would
you tackle them and hold them there until the police came.
I mean, they are tools that clearly the retail industry
wants because Sonny Kershaw and people like that were on

(02:27):
that advisory group and these are the sorts of things
they've come up with, so they feel powerless. But I
don't think the law would stop them from apprehending somebody,
even the way it stood. But nevertheless, it just makes
it clear.

Speaker 1 (02:41):
Clear, it clears it all up. It's interesting because I
think the dairy owners who are whose goods that are
being stolen, it's their property, they will use it. But
your health and safety mob at the supermarket won't be
interested in tackling it, you.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
Know, And that is a real issue. I mean the
labor party, they've sighted the police saying don't take the
law into your own hands, and that's fair enough. I
think that's quite true that police would say that, and
the CTU, that's all. They are all very upset about it.
They say it's got serious implications for worker safety. Well,

(03:15):
you know, we know all that, but it just gives
them an extra tool in the toolbox. I guess.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
Now the Cooks Prime Minister, sorry, tourism will talk tourism.
So we've got all this number.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
Yes, it's lovely, isn't it?

Speaker 1 (03:27):
Great numbers?

Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, I mean you look at tourism stats in New
Zealand came out today and they show that tourism expenditure
in New Zealand forty four and a half billion dollars
for the year ending March twenty four, which is quite
extraordinary really. And you look at overseas visitor expenditure here

(03:47):
that increased by six point three billion bucks. So people
are coming the pre COVID levels they're returning to and
it's great for New Zealand to see more tourists coming
in here. And that is the row back to recovery
for this country. It's the second biggest earner at the
moment of foreign exchange, will it It could in fact

(04:08):
be the biggest earner before too long you'll.

Speaker 1 (04:10):
Get back to number one.

Speaker 3 (04:11):
Yes.

Speaker 1 (04:12):
Now, the Cooks PM Mark Brown, he's written to Luxe
and what's he saying.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
Well, the PM's office not telling us what the leader
actually says. But as I understand it from talking around
the BEHA today, that what what the Mark Brown says
to Chris Luxons that look, we'd like I'd like to
get together with you for a one on one meeting.
And you know, it's a bit like putting the horse
after the cart when you think about it, because surely

(04:39):
he should have done so before he signed mining deals,
in particular with the Chinese. It's funny, right, I think
back to the time that we saw the original agreement.
You and I talked about it on air and said
we'll hang on it doesn't see seems pretty. It is
more meets the eye, and there was much more to it,
and I think certainly Mark Brown has got some explain

(05:00):
to do. He faced a vote of no confidence in
his parliament today, but look the opposition of the twenty
four members of parliament. They've gotten the corks. The opposition
make up eight members, so really they were on hiding
to nothing to try and get rid of them.

Speaker 1 (05:15):
All right, Barry, thank you for that. Great work is
always very so for senior political correspondent here at News
talksb

Speaker 2 (05:21):
For more from Heather Duplessy Allen Drive listen live to
news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio