15 Mar 2018

'No complaints' at other political parties' youth camps

7:22 am on 15 March 2018

As the Labour Party faces criticism over its handling of sexual assaults at its annual summer school camp, other parties are asserting good processes around their own residential events.

Women in a bar with beers

The Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority has upheld the council's two-year freeze on new licences in the city centre and 23 priority areas predominantly in south and west Auckland. Photo: 123RF

The Labour Party has apologised to four teenagers who it says were sexually harassed or assaulted at one of its summer school camps near Waihi last month.

The National and Green parties have also held residential camps but said they had received no complaints.

The president of National's youth wing, Stefan Sunde said it continued to review and update its processes for ensuring its events were safe and responsible.

"For example at Young Nat events we ensure that alcohol is only available to those over the age of 18, and that the Young Nats teams organising our events know their obligations to our members.

"While we do everything we can to prevent issues occurring, we are prepared to handle them appropriately should they arise, and that any support needed is made available.

"I am confident that alongside the party we have the right processes in place."

ACT leader leader David Seymour that if such a thing had happened at an ACT camp, he would have expected to have been alerted to it immediately.

He said his party had not held residential youth camps for years, partly because it had become an increasing liability to do so.

He said there was some hypocrisy in this case on the part of the Labour Party.

"The Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act - which Labour opposed as making it too easy for young people to alcohol at the time - has been breached here by the supply of alcohol to young people, it appears, by the political party that said the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act was too lax."

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