Posted by Blogger Name. Category:
Arun Kumar
,
South Auckland
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Su'a William Sio
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Violent crime
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Youth crime
Check out this extraordinary piece of video from TVNZ's Breakfast programme this morning. Rawdon Christie was interviewing Mangere MP, Su'a William Sio:
We realise that it was before 7am, and Mr Sio might not have been firing on all cylinders. But to dismiss two incidents of violence, one of which has left a young boy critically injured in Starship Hospital by saying "Boys are going to be boys" is an absolute cop-out from Labour's senior Pasifika MP.
Violence is never OK, and especially violence with weapons such as knives. Would Mr Sio regard the murder of Henderson dairy owner Arun Kumar as just an extension of his "boys are going to be boys" logic?
Young men need leaders and role models. They do not need to have their conduct excused by the likes of Mr Sio. They need to have boundaries drawn, and when they cross those boundaries, there need to be consequences, not excuses.
Su'a William Sio is right about calm heads being needed in South Auckland at the moment, but his "boys are going to be boys" comment suggests a complete lack of insight into the causes of violence. We hope he clarifies his remarks later today, because they do not reflect kindly on him.
