ZB ZB
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Listen to NAME OF STATION
Up next
Listen live on
ZB

Andrew Dickens: Politicians need to stop talking and start doing

Author
Andrew Dickens,
Publish Date
Sun, 1 Sep 2019, 10:20AM
Neither National or Labour has committed proper funding to a major justice programme. (Photo / NZ Herald)

Andrew Dickens: Politicians need to stop talking and start doing

Author
Andrew Dickens,
Publish Date
Sun, 1 Sep 2019, 10:20AM

I’m a bit angry as I sit here and write this because I’ve sat here and written exactly what I’m about to say for five years now. All to no avail.

Last night I was the MC and auctioneer for a fundraiser. I’ve done the event for half a decade because I believe in the initiative and the cause so it’s a little bit of goodwill from me. Plus there’s really good food.  The chefs donate their time and the kitchen staff are all amateur and they put their heart and soul into it.

Anyway it was a fundraiser for the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court. A pilot programme where offenders apply to be tried by the court and then sentenced to get rid of their drug or alcohol addictions that have driven some of their criminal behaviour.

I know when I tell people about it they often think it sounds a bit soft on crime, but it’s not, because it works.

Two courts have been running in New Zealand under two judges, Lisa Tremewen and Emma Aitken. Together with a small staff they’ve figured out who are the best candidates for this sort of justice, how to support the offenders going through the process and how to exact retribution for the offending.

What it avoids is sending addicts to jail. What it avoids is those offenders offending again because they've kicked the habit that drove them to crime. And in doing so they've also addressed the underlying problems that drove them to drugs in the first place.

Last night we heard from three graduates of the programme.  Two women who had lost everything including their children and with rap sheets as long as your arm.  But they’d turned themselves around and their family was reunited. This is a good result not just for society but also for the offender and obviously for their children.

Now I’ve hosted and MC’ed this fundraiser for five years in a row.  The programme has been going for seven years.

The reason I’m angry is that for all those seven years the programme has been described as a trial. As a pilot programme. They’re giving it a go to see if it works before they take the programme nationwide. 

Well, newsflash, it works. They figured that out years ago. And now it’s a waiting game to see if any politicians are going to pull their finger out and fund it. Which for seven years they haven’t.

In the May budget $1.9 billion was allocated to mental health. But nothing’s happened. Roadshows are figuring out how to spend the money.  Even this week Sir John Kirwan launched a working group to discuss how to spend the money fighting suicide and depression.

Talk Talk Talk Talk Talk. All hui no doey. This government has lifted the talkfest to an art form. But the other lot are no better. Remember this programme has been wallowing around waiting for a green light for seven years.

If this government was serious about mental health and addictions all it had to do was announce in May that this successful court pilot was going to get funding.  But perhaps that veers too close to actual delivery and actually doing something.

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you