A new year and a renewed sense of humour for the New Conservative Party.
The party has come back with a new name, changing from the original name 'Conservative Party'. But they're conservative about their policy on prison inmates.
The Party’s Māori Deputy Leader Elliot Ikilei was upfront about the party’s no-nonsense approach to prisoners.
Their policy has a three-stage process for serving prison time, and if they don’t participate in any of the stages, then they will be staying in prison, indefinitely.
Ikilei says, “If you don't want to join the program then fine. You stay in prison.”
When pressed on whether a prisoner could stay in prison all their lives regardless of their crime, for simply not wanting to participate in the rehabilitation program, the answer was yes.
They also stayed firm on their opposition to gay marriage, saying it was "Diluting the most excellent organization that we have, which is the male-female coming together to form a contractually obligated relationship."
Ikilei also weighed in on treaty settlements and says, “We need to get the settlements sorted like now! I remember seeing what Ngāpuhi said, about it doesn't matter if it is another 100 years, to discuss who's actually going to do the settlement. No! That's not going to help.”