Key Takeaways
- Hawkins, with a criminal past including a violent taxi‑driver attack and assault on a family, seeks election to improve New Zealand’s justice and corrections systems.
- He argues his lived experience uniquely qualifies him to design rehabilitation programmes and job‑placement pathways for offenders.
- Critics, such as the Sensible Sentencing Trust, question the suitability of a repeat violent offender as a parliamentary candidate, while experts like sociologist Dr Jarrod Gilbert stress that honesty about one’s past can enrich democratic debate.
- Hawkins runs an internet services business, is active in a Christian community, and says he has turned his life around, hoping to give back to society.
- In the Tukituki electorate he faces strong incumbent Catherine Wedd (National) and NZ First’s Taine Randell, making his electoral prospects challenging.
Background and Personal History
Hawkins grew up in Hawke’s Bay and has been open about a troubled upbringing that brought him into contact with the justice system. He acknowledges that his relatives have been associated with gangs, although he insists he never joined a gang himself. These experiences, he says, have given him a first‑hand view of how the corrections system operates and where it fails individuals trying to reintegrate into society. By sharing his story, Hawkins hopes to illustrate that personal transformation is possible and that those who have walked the path can contribute meaningfully to policy reform.
First Conviction: Taxi‑Driver Attack
In 2020 Hawkins was jailed for approximately eight months after planning and executing a robbery of a taxi driver in Havelock North. He admitted to luring the driver into a trap via phone calls, participating in the assault that left the driver with a broken nose and eye socket, and then driving the getaway car. Police believed four to five people were involved in the early‑morning attack. The victim’s impact statement to the court described it as “the worst night of my life,” underscoring the severe trauma inflicted. This offence marked Hawkins’s first significant custodial sentence and became a focal point in discussions about his suitability for public office.
Second Offence: Assault on a Hastings Family
Two years later, in 2022, Hawkins accompanied another man to a Hastings residence where he bashed a man and assaulted the victim’s two children, aged 13 and 9, as they tried to intervene. The incident resulted in a conviction and a sentence of home detention. Hawkins has expressed remorse for these actions, stating that they were part of a period he now regards as a dark chapter. The gravity of harming minors has intensified scrutiny from critics who argue that such behaviour should disqualify him from seeking a parliamentary seat.
Rehabilitation and Turning Point
Following his last conviction, Hawkins says he embarked on a genuine process of change. He credits a supportive Christian community and the presence of positive role models during his rehabilitation for helping him reshape his outlook on life. He claims to have “come a long way” from his earlier behaviour and emphasizes that he has taken responsibility for the harm he caused. This narrative of personal redemption forms the core of his pitch to voters: that he understands both the failures and the potential of the corrections system from the inside.
Current Business and Community Involvement
Hawkins now operates a small internet services company based in Te Hauke, providing local connectivity solutions. Beyond his entrepreneurial pursuits, he remains active in the Christian fellowship that aided his rehabilitation, participating in community outreach and mentorship programmes. He describes his work as a way to give back to the community that he feels he once took from through his offending. By maintaining a law‑abiding, productive livelihood, Hawkins aims to demonstrate that former offenders can become valuable contributors to society when given appropriate support.
Motivations for Entering Politics
When asked why he seeks a parliamentary seat, Hawkins frames his candidacy as a service motive: he wants to repay the community by improving the very systems that failed him. He argues that his direct experience with both offending and rehabilitation equips him to identify gaps in current policies and to propose practical solutions. His stance reflects a belief that those who have lived through the justice process can offer insights that career politicians or bureaucrats might lack.
Policy Focus Areas
Hawkins outlines three primary focus areas should he be elected: justice, corrections, and business. He intends to advocate for stronger wrap‑around services that assist people leaving custody, such as housing assistance, mental‑health support, and substance‑abuse treatment. Additionally, he aims to create clearer job pathways for former offenders, partnering with local businesses to reduce recidivism through employment. By linking corrections reform with economic opportunity, Hawkins hopes to address both public safety and social equity.
Qualification Through Lived Experience
To illustrate his point about qualification, Hawkins uses an analogy: one would not send a mechanic to perform a dentist’s job or a chef to fix plumbing. Likewise, he argues, fixing the corrections system requires someone with direct, qualified experience—even if that experience comes from having offended. He maintains that his lived encounter with incarceration, rehabilitation attempts, and the challenges of reintegration provides a credible basis for shaping effective policy.
Criticism from the Sensible Sentencing Trust
The Sensible Sentencing Trust, represented by spokeswoman Louise Parsons, has questioned Hawkins’s suitability as a candidate. Parsons notes that New Zealand law does not bar a violent repeat offender from standing for office unless they are currently serving a prison sentence longer than three years—a threshold Hawkins does not meet. The Trust expresses doubt that he will attract substantial support from conscientious voters in Tukituki, while urging him to remain true to his word and avoid reoffending.
Support from Sociologist Dr Jarrod Gilbert
In contrast, sociologist Dr Jarrod Gilbert of Independent Research Solutions argues that Hawkins’s past should not automatically disqualify him. Gilbert emphasizes that the justice system’s goal includes rehabilitation, and openness about one’s history allows voters to make informed choices. He contends that a diversity of perspectives, including those from people who have experienced the system’s shortcomings, strengthens democracy and can lead to more effective reforms that reduce future victimisation.
Electoral Prospects and Competition
Hawkins faces an uphill battle in the Tukituki electorate, where incumbent Catherine Wedd of the National Party secured the seat in 2023 after defeating Labour’s Anna Lork. NZ First’s high‑profile candidate Taine Randell also contests the seat, adding further pressure. While Hawkins’s message of reform may resonate with some voters concerned about justice‑system effectiveness, his criminal record and the presence of well‑established opponents make his path to victory challenging. The official nomination period runs from September 7 to October 8, after which the final candidate list will be released, clarifying the exact field he will need to navigate.
Conclusion and Outlook
Hawkins’s candidacy presents a complex interplay of personal redemption, policy ambition, and public scepticism. His insistence that lived experience can improve corrections and justice initiatives offers a fresh perspective, yet his violent history raises legitimate concerns about accountability and voter trust. As the election approaches, the extent to which constituents weigh his reform proposals against his past will determine whether he can translate his story of change into parliamentary influence. Regardless of the outcome, his campaign highlights ongoing debates about rehabilitation, redemption, and the role of formerly incarcerated individuals in shaping public policy.