A legislative double-take

In 2004 Parliament passed the Clean Slate Bill. Quoting the Ministry of Justice, "This legislation is designed to allow individuals with less serious convictions who have been conviction-free for at least seven years to put their past behind them."

Tomorrow a new law comes into effect that will re-punish some men for decades-old low-level sex offences; such as having sex as a teenager with a girlfriend before the girl's 16th birthday by banning them from jobs they have held for years.

So much for putting their pasts behind them.

Whatever you think about this sort of legislative "contrast" it is understandable that the general public are suspicious and cynical and mistrusting of our lawmakers.