Domestic Violence

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• Review, with a view to reducing, the cost of obtaining a legal protection order.
• Fully resource the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act 1995.
• Increase investment in primary prevention programmes, including in schools where programmes will include non-violent conflict resolution for both boys and girls and examination of societal attitudes towards gender and sexuality.
• Support mandatory attendance at counselling, stopping violence groups, anger management courses and/or other programmes for people convicted of violent offences.
• Strongly support resourcing for agencies that provide counselling, support, safe houses and refuge for women and children in violent relationships, and other victims of violence, in addition to that provided under ACC. (more here)

• We will invest $60 million in additional funding over four years and redirect existing funding to support immediate initiatives for eliminating violence against women and children. In addition we will commit to a long term, inclusive, collaborative New Zealand Action Plan.
• We will provide sustainable funding to build a nationwide network of violence prevention services, including primary, secondary and tertiary prevention services and increase resources into primary prevention for sexual violence.
• Labour will restore funding to cuts made to Women’s Refuge, family violence programmes, rape and sexual violence survivor support services, increase ongoing resources into the sector and continue to fund specialist front-line services for offenders.
• Labour will allow the Law Commission to complete its review on alternative trial mechanisms, including the establishment of a specialist sexual violence court and consider reforms that provide real justice to survivors while protecting the right to be presumed innocent, including: cross examination rules, alternative trial processes, establishment of sexual violence support, specialist training including on the dynamics of violence, support services during justice processes, and changes to the definition of consent.
• We will review prosecution guidelines to ensure New Zealand Police appropriately and consistently arrest and charge domestic violence offenders. We will also review the operation of Protection Orders. (more here)

• Promote in every way practicable a culture of non-violence in the home, school and communities.
• Resource and support parenting education in schools, and increase funding for quality parent and family support programmes in the community.
• Provide stable, sufficient funding for women’s refuge, rape crisis, men’s stopping violence groups and other organisations working to support those affected by family violence.
• Provide free counselling and well subsidised legal support for those affected by family and sexual violence. (more here)

• We will introduce a Cross-Government Accord (a ‘wellbeing framework’) to keep whānau free from all forms of violence; including physical, economic, sexual and racist including prevention of elder abuse and neglect.
• We will review the Domestic Violence Act 1995. (more here)

• Establish a Chief Victims Advisor to the Minister of Justice to advise on the needs and views of victims of crime.
• Establish a nationwide home safety service to help victims who want to leave a violent relationship.
• Review the Domestic Violence Act 1995 to ensure the system keeps victims safe and holds offenders to account.
• Explore the possibility of a conviction disclosure scheme which could allow people to ask whether their partner has a history of violence.
• Introduce legislation to allow courts to stipulate GPS monitoring on high-risk family violence offenders. (more here)

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• Not available on their website yet.