National Party Inaction On Paedophile Problem

No, not *that* one.

For ages, there's been a loophole in NZ law that basically allows people convicted of sexual crimes (even against children) in Australia to migrate over to New Zealand and effectively slip their bail conditions.

Due to the way the law and data-sharing works ... we don't know they're coming. We have no legal mandate once they get here to impose the bail conditions they'd otherwise be subject to in Oz.

And not only is that dangerous for OUR citizenry ... it also creates a perverse incentive for Australian sex offenders to try and jump the ditch so as to secure a hugely enhanced degree of freedom here.

This clearly isn't right.

We should NOT be having to rely on victims PERSONALLY calling up our national police headquarters to notify the NZ Government about potential undesirables coming into our midst.

National has known for years that this loophole exists - highlighted by the tragic death of Jade Bayliss - and yet, despite a catalogue of assurances since 2013, has done nothing to plug it.

Now, a convicted paedophile from Western Australia is seeking to take advantage of our laxity by seeking to relocate to Canterbury in order to escape his release conditions.

Our police didn't know he was coming.

There's no provision for ensuring the offender abides by the conditions of his parole while he's here.

Between this and the Government's shameful attempt to block Winston Peters' bill to remove name suppression from paedophiles where this is called for by the victim, I'm left asking one simple question:

When will National make good on their promise to take paedeophilia seriously.