Two challenges for National

The newspapers this morning highlight a couple of issues which are going to present challenges to National's law and order Ministers Simon Power (Justice) and Judith Collins (Corrections)

Issue #1 - The Herald reports on prisioners running a methamphetamine ring from behind bars at Paremoremo. Among the allegations details are reports that one of the alleged offenders "uses prison staff to facilitate the movement of drugs and cellphones into and out of prison". This has been uncovered after an 18-month investigation, during which time P precursors have been sourced from China from behind bars. National has already indicated a willingness to crack down on prisons - let us hope that the technology to block cellphones is provided in the very near future. Meanwhile, a number of inmates face trial over various drugs charges. Which leads to...

Issue #2 - The Sunday Star-Times carries a puff-piece on Tony Veitch's fragile mental state (anything where Glenda Hughes is quoted is a puff-piece, in Keeping Stock's considered opinion!), due to the likely delay in his trial on assault charges - which will possibly not take place until 2011! We don't propose to relitigate the rights and wrongs of the Veitch case, but a delay of this magnitude is outrageous, and symptomatic of a Justice system in crisis. We would do well to reflect on William Gladstone's immortal words - "Justice delayed is justice denied". Eliminating the bottlenecks in the Court system must be a priority for Simon Power.