ACT driving change on key Government targets

“ACT Ministers and policies have driven real change across key Government targets: fewer young offenders, more kids in school, and fewer victims of violent crime,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“The latest Government Targets report shows serious and persistent child and youth offending is down 25 percent under this Government, student attendance is improving, and there are around 46,000 fewer victims of violent crime since 2023.

“That is what happens when government focuses on fixing what matters.

“Karen Chhour has taken a safety-first approach to youth justice, putting victims first and making sure serious young offenders face consequences and support to turn their lives around.

“For attendance, I have pushed for higher expectations and accountability. Children cannot learn if they are not in class. Getting attendance up is one of the most basic, important things government can do.

“Violent crime has fallen as ACT has delivered on its commitments to abolish Labour’s prisoner reduction target, restore Three Strikes, and put the interests of victims back at the centre of justice.

“Labour’s approach was to be kind to criminals and hope they’d be kind back. ACT’s approach is that innocent people come first, and criminals can expect consequences for their actions, not excuses.

“Instead of spraying money at problems and hoping for better outcomes, we're ensuring services actually deliver for taxpayers. We've done that with clear targets, better incentives, and a more accountable bureaucracy.

“There is more to do. We can truly unlock New Zealand's potential with a smaller, more accountable Government that focuses its spending on the services that matter.”