They were popular points for the older crowd, who in particular were on the verge of applause at any mention of being tough on crime. Luxon tried to move the focus from these fiery issues over to the economy, which he said was the central issue of the election. 80-year-old Michael from Hillcrest said October couldn’t come fast enough, saying concerns around crime were his biggest worry at present. Luxon provided plenty of fodder for the crime-concerned, saying he was prepared to give police additional tools to come down hard on gangs. Bidois said in his door-stopping, 80 percent of the issues brought up had to do with crime or the cost of living.

Source: New Zealand Herald May 25, 2023 04:30 UTC