Sex offenders register needs checks and protections

The Government’s proposed sex offenders register must have the appropriate checks, balances and protections in place, and be focused on making Kiwi kids safer, says Labour’s Police and Corrections spokesperson Jacinda Ardern.

“It makes sense for Government agencies to share appropriate information when our children’s safety is the priority. In fact I am sure the public expectation would be that this should be happening.

“Labour is keen though to see the detail around the Government’s plans to make sure they are appropriate and will make children and communities safer.

“We are not opposed to information sharing, but we have an absolute bottom line that no such list, register or information should ever be made public, or shared publicly. While the Government has indicated that this would not be the case, we want to see protections in place to prevent this from occurring.

“If such a register was ever made public, or leaked, it could undermine the potential benefits of such a regime”  says Jacinda Ardern.

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