A criminal lawyer is casting doubt on the benefits of throwing the book at troubled youth.

The Act Party wants 17-year-olds to be charged as adults, and for youth justice facilities to be run by Corrections, not Oranga Tamariki.

Steve Cullen told Kate Hawkesby that the policy would make problems worse.

He says putting 17-year-olds in prison would create a fertile source for gang recruitment.

LISTEN ABOVE

A criminal lawyer is casting doubt on the benefits of throwing the book at troubled youth.
The Act Party wants 17-year-olds to be charged as adults, and for youth justice facilities to be run by Corrections, not Oranga Tamariki.
Steve Cullen told Kate Hawkesby that the policy would make problems worse.
He says putting 17-year-olds in prison would create a fertile source for gang recruitment.
LISTEN ABOVE

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Steve Cullen: Criminal Lawyer on ACT's youth crime policy

The country's biggest pop culture extravaganza Armageddon starts in Auckland today.  

Around 50 thousand sci-fi, anime, fantasy, and gaming fans are expected to flock to Auckland Showgrounds this weekend.  

It's filled with more than 400 exhibitors, including a reunion of the Supernatural cast, a High School Musical sing-along panel, and international guests like Highlander star Christopher Lambert.  

Organiser Bill Geradts told Francesca Rudkin they're not feeling the pinch from the cost of living crisis in the same way festivals and retail are. 

He says last year's October show was one of their best, and this year's tracking to be about the same. 

LISTEN ABOVE 

The country's biggest pop culture extravaganza Armageddon starts in Auckland today. &nbsp;
Around 50 thousand sci-fi, anime, fantasy, and gaming fans are expected to flock to Auckland Showgrounds this weekend. &nbsp;
It's filled with more than 400 exhibitors, including a reunion of the Supernatural cast, a High School Musical sing-along panel, and international guests like Highlander star Christopher Lambert. &nbsp;
Organiser Bill Geradts told Francesca Rudkin they're not feeling the pinch from the cost of living crisis in the same way festivals and retail are.&nbsp;
He says last year's October show was one of their best, and this year's tracking to be about the same.&nbsp;
LISTEN ABOVE&nbsp;

Bill Geradts: Armageddon Expo Organiser on this year's Auckland event

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/bc84465b-484e-4cd9-a7f6-b4eb0172de43/transcript

Education Minister Erica Stanford’s education overhaul has been impressive this government term. We’re seeing improvements in primary school student achievement, the NCEA qualification is not long for this world, and how good is it to have cellphones out of the classroom?

But for all the changes, there are families who feel the system simply doesn’t work for their child, whose needs, interests or circumstances may not fit comfortably within a conventional classroom.

Yet when someone suggests trying something different, we can become remarkably attached to doing the same thing and hoping for a different result.

That is why charter schools deserve a fair hearing.

ACT has made school choice and educational innovation central to its education agenda for the 2026 general election. It has set a target of 10,000 charter school enrolments by 2029, and a goal of a charter school option in every major town.

As the parent of a child with a brilliant, complex, neurodivergent mind who loves to learn but struggled with the mainstream school environment, this is music to my ears. In order for our child to complete her education, we went down an alternative route. No one was more surprised than we were.

It was hugely expensive and prohibitive for most, but it was brilliant. Our child, who was falling out of school, is now doing a science degree at university. Charter schools will hopefully give more families struggling with children in similar situations the same opportunity.

It is life-changing.

For a young person who has all but given up on education, it could be the beginning of a future that might otherwise have quietly disappeared.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins opposes charter schools.

"We should give all of our schools the tools they need to cater for all of the kids who come through the gate," Hipkins said yesterday.

It is an admirable ambition. But is it the reality? Teachers regularly describe classrooms stretched by complex learning needs, behavioural challenges and inadequate support. Expecting one teacher to meet every need in a crowded classroom is a little like asking a Swiss Army knife to perform open-heart surgery.

Most mainstream schools do wonderful work. But not every child learns the same way, responds to the same environment or thrives under the same structure. A practical, culturally grounded or more flexible approach can be the difference between disengagement and achievement.

There are legitimate concerns about charter schools. Public money must be protected, teaching quality maintained, and private operators prevented from putting profit ahead of pupils. Independence must never mean a free pass. Transparent reporting, financial audits, measurable achievement targets and the power to terminate contracts are essential safeguards.

But if those checks and balances are enforced, why should every school have to follow precisely the same model?

Charter schools are not a replacement for mainstream education. They are another tool in the kit. New Zealand’s children are not all the same, so why insist their education must be?

Education Minister Erica Stanford’s education overhaul has been impressive this government term. We’re seeing improvements in primary school student achievement, the NCEA qualification is not long for this world, and how good is it to have cellphones out of the classroom?
But for all the changes, there are families who feel the system simply doesn’t work for their child, whose needs, interests or circumstances may not fit comfortably within a conventional classroom.
Yet when someone suggests trying something different, we can become remarkably attached to doing the same thing and hoping for a different result.
That is why charter schools deserve a fair hearing.
ACT has made school choice and educational innovation central to its education agenda for the 2026 general election. It has set a target of 10,000 charter school enrolments by 2029, and a goal of a charter school option in every major town.
As the parent of a child with a brilliant, complex, neurodivergent mind who loves to learn but struggled with the mainstream school environment, this is music to my ears. In order for our child to complete her education, we went down an alternative route. No one was more surprised than we were.
It was hugely expensive and prohibitive for most, but it was brilliant. Our child, who was falling out of school, is now doing a science degree at university. Charter schools will hopefully give more families struggling with children in similar situations the same opportunity.
It is life-changing.
For a young person who has all but given up on education, it could be the beginning of a future that might otherwise have quietly disappeared.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins opposes charter schools.
"We should give all of our schools the tools they need to cater for all of the kids who come through the gate," Hipkins said yesterday.
It is an admirable ambition. But is it the reality? Teachers regularly describe classrooms stretched by complex learning needs, behavioural challenges and inadequate support. Expecting one teacher to meet every need in a crowded classroom is a little like asking a Swiss Army knife to perform open-heart surgery.
Most mainstream schools do wonderful work. But not every child learns the same way, responds to the same environment or thrives under the same structure. A practical, culturally grounded or more flexible approach can be the difference between disengagement and achievement.
There are legitimate concerns about charter schools. Public money must be protected, teaching quality maintained, and private operators prevented from putting profit ahead of pupils. Independence must never mean a free pass. Transparent reporting, financial audits, measurable achievement targets and the power to terminate contracts are essential safeguards.
But if those checks and balances are enforced, why should every school have to follow precisely the same model?
Charter schools are not a replacement for mainstream education. They are another tool in the kit. New Zealand’s children are not all the same, so why insist their education must be?

Francesca Rudkin: Why are charter schools vilified?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/34d849f1-86cd-43b4-ba15-b4eb01226e3d/transcript

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 23 October.

Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 23 October. 
Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Full Show Podcast: 23 October 2026 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/0be86b8d-963b-42dd-9e00-b4eb011a46f0/transcript

Steve Cullen: Criminal Lawyer on ACT's youth crime policy

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