Justice Minister Kiri Allan has come under fire from National for her lack of answers on why there’s been a 30 percent increase in violent crime since the Labour Government took office.

On TVNZ’s Q and A this morning, presenter Jack Tame repeatedly asked the minister why violent crime had increased – but she didn’t directly answer the question.

Allan said “you can say that there’s been an increase in some areas, but across the board, I think that we’re going like the clappers to really reduce Law and Order issues.”

Justice spokesperson Paul Goldsmith said the Minister has not considered the impact of the government’s policy to reduce the prison population by over 20 percent.

Goldsmith said “it seems it never occurred to the Minister to ask whether the Government’s ‘clear strategy’ to reduce the prison population by over 20 percent has had anything to do with it.”

“Amongst the waffle, she offered the Minister conceded she had no evidence before her on what impact the over 20 percent decrease in the prison population has had on the increase in violent crime” Goldsmith said.

“It’s breath-taking that a Minister of Justice wouldn’t spend every waking moment trying to work out why there has been a dramatic increase in violent crime – and have some clear answers.

“But it’s worse that a government would pursue a policy of emptying out prisons, irrespective of what’s going on in our streets and in our communities, without thinking to ask what impact that was having.

 “This Minister is not up to the job. This morning she stated: ‘I never said the justice system was just’. Six years into a government, that says it all.”