Prime Minister Chris Hipkins showed in Parliament today that he lives in a fantasy land when he claimed incorrectly that ram-raids had reduced by three-quarters under his watch, National’s Police spokesperson Mark Mitchell says.

“Today in Parliament, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins claimed that ram-raids dropped by 75 per cent under his leadership.

“A quick fact check using figures provided to National by the Government shows that in the seven months from June 2022, while Mr Hipkins was Police Minister, 307 ram-raids occurred under his watch.

“By comparison, in the seven months prior to Mr Hipkins taking over the portfolio, there were 322 ram-raids – a decrease of about five per cent.

“The dramatic difference in numbers would be funny, if it wasn’t such a serious issue. Ram-raids have brought fear and tension to many business owners across New Zealand.

“The inconvenient truth is that under Labour, there were 500 per cent more ram-raids in 2022 than there were in 2018.

“Instead of cracking down on crime, Mr Hipkins is more interested in spinning his numbers about his reduction in ram-raids.

“While Labour remains soft on crime and attempts to spin data, National will restore law and order by backing police, tackling gangs, and implement our Combatting Youth Offending Plan to make New Zealanders safer.”