In 2022 the National Party made it clear it wanted to ban gang patches and insignia in all public spaces and on publicly accessible social media sites.
The latter part of that was quietly dropped. It would have been a logistical nightmare.
We have heard nothing more about Police Minister Mark Mitchell’s idea, aired soon after the election, that if the gang patch ban did not work then the government would consider making gang members apply foundation over offensive facial tattoos, or face arrest.
That idea was a boon for cartoonists, and the make-up industry may have been momentarily excited, but as was pointed out, it would not always be easy to decide what was a gang tattoo.
As we have said before, if sorting out New Zealand’s gang problem was something which could be solved by politicians talking big, it would have happened decades ago.
The gang patch ban may lead to fewer people feeling intimidated in public settings, although some say they would prefer gang members to be identifiable so they can avoid them. Less gang visibility could have the impact of reducing the number of impressionable young people who might see gangs as cool.
Gangs will adapt and find other ways to express their presence publicly, perhaps through tattoos or colours, neither of which are banned.
The Police Association president Chris Cahill has said a nuanced approach would be needed by police, as the last thing sole-charge officers needed was to be dealing with gang members grumpy about losing patches.
While police said they would bring in support for such officers, he pointed out that officers coming in creating animosity and then leaving the local officers to deal with the aftermath was not ideal.
A controversial late addition to the legislation banned gang patches in the homes of repeat offenders, something which is excessive and beyond the stated purpose of the Act.
Questions remain about whether all of this will be the best use of police resources, particularly if it does little to reduce gangs’ involvement with serious crime or stop people joining gangs in the first place. In the meantime, the big talk continues with the government trying to claim this week it had stabilised gang growth when it was playing fast and loose with the numbers.
Magical thinking in health
This week, Health Minister Shane Reti and Health NZ Commissioner Lester Levy announced $20 million spending on extra senior doctors, $10 million for senior specialist nurses and allied health professionals for rural areas.
It might sound like good news, but it is hard to grasp why a change in recruiting style, as suggested by Mr Levy, is suddenly going to mean it will be easier to find health professionals to fill critical roles which may have been vacant for a long time.
Also, hospitals around the country will have to apply for the funding, with Mr Levy making the final decisions. That fits the description of unhealthy competition.
It raises the question about whether Health NZ’s workforce planning is so poor it cannot work out where the greatest needs are.
A $12 million fund to be split equally among the four regions was announced too. The South Island will get a whopping $3 million, to pay for minor repairs at hospitals, replacement appliances, and new books and toys for children undergoing treatment.
The announcement smacked of government desperation for a positive health headline. That perception was not helped when Dr Reti’s office had to correct a statement he had made in an interview that the funding was new money rather than a re-allocation of funds.
Health professionals commenting on the announcement, greeted it with the scepticism it deserved.
