ACT MP Nicole McKee says tough new sentencing reforms taking effect today will help restore public confidence in the justice system and make communities safer.

The changes, part of ACT’s coalition agreement with National, introduce new aggravating factors for crimes committed against sole-charge workers and those who live and work in the same premises. They also limit sentence discounts for repeat offenders and require judges to prioritise victims’ interests during sentencing.

“For years under Labour, New Zealand saw a steady erosion of public confidence in the justice system,” McKee said. “Offenders faced fewer and shorter prison sentences, while communities paid the price.”

She pointed to police data showing a 134 percent increase in serious assaults causing injury between 2017 and 2023 as evidence of what she called Labour’s failed “kind to criminals” approach.

“We’ve restored three strikes, and from today additional measures are coming into force to make the message even clearer.”

The new laws include:

• A cap on sentence discounts based on mitigating factors

• A ban on repeat discounts for youth and remorse

• Recognition of crimes against sole-charge workers and those with homes attached to their businesses as more serious

• Encouragement of cumulative sentencing for crimes committed on bail, in custody, or on parole

• A legal requirement for courts to take victims’ interests into account at sentencing

McKee said people who work alone, especially those running businesses from their homes, are particularly vulnerable and deserve stronger protection.

“These workers’ vulnerability will be recognised in law, as set out in ACT’s coalition agreement,” she said.

McKee added that the measures send a strong message to criminals: “Violence and thuggery will not be tolerated. These are practical, common-sense changes that ensure the justice system prioritises victims, not offenders.”

“Law-abiding New Zealanders deserve to feel safe, and that starts with holding criminals to account.”