Get Your Murdering Done Now - Updated

National MP Paul Quinn's Electoral (Disqualification of Convicted Prisoners) Amendment Bill has won the ballot today and will be introduced into Parliament for a first reading.

Oh good, I thought as I read about this. I was just thinking the other day how much we needed to add another regressive and mean bit of law to our statute books.

I should say that I can't find a copy of the bill anywhere, but the title of the bill appears to be self-explanatory. (Update: here is a link to the bill)

At present the Electoral Act 1993 disenfranchises prisoners who are serving a sentence of life imprisonment, preventative detention, or three years or more imprisonment. There are other disqualifications (e.g. for mental health reasons), but I won't go into those, as they aren't relevant to this particular issue. I'm assuming the purpose of the bill is to widen the scope of the restrictions that apply to convicted offenders. If it turns out Mr Quinn in fact wishes to ensure that prisoners are given big fluffy pink teddy-bears when they line up to vote, I'll of course apologise.

So, yes, let's disenfranchise those who are already at the bottom rung of society. After all, they don't generally vote National, do they?

Seriously though, unless the proposed law only applies to a select group of complete bastards, I'd be worried about its implications. For example:

• will it apply to everyone in the nick?
• will it apply post-release? What about during parole?
• are some offences excluded?
• will there be an exception in case Nelson Mandela decides to spend his remaining years in Godzone?

And if this proposed law is to only apply to a select group of complete bastards, why are we bothering? There is a backlog of important legislation that needs to be passed. Why is this National backbencher wasting Parliament's time? Is this really the best idea he can come up with?

I don't know whether the bill has the support of Quinn's own party, but you would assume so. And you know anything that is "tough on crims" will get ACT's vote.

But don't panic, because most laws aren't retrospective in effect. So if you've been thinking about that big heist, or have been weighing up whether to knife Grandma, you've still got time. Just make sure you get it done before they change the law, otherwise you may lose the opportunity to vote.

(Update: The law will apply to anyone in prison - anyone at all. But it won't apply after release, so at least Nelson Mandela is safe.

It is still a pointless, petty and punitive law. This justification from the bill is simply breathtaking:

Given most persons sentenced to any term of imprisonment of less than three years are almost certain to have a record of prior convictions this bill is based on the premise that such persons have already committed crimes against the community sufficient to forfeit their right to have a say in its governance.

It is not "almost certain" that those in prison for serious crimes are repeat offenders. And even if they are repeat offenders, it is not "almost certain" that those prior offences were so serious as to justify the taking away of the right to vote. This is just loony thinking. Taken to its logical extreme, it could be used to justify taking the civic rights away from anyone who commits any offence - any offence at all.)