While critics objected to its punitive approach to justice and disproportionate impact on the Māori community, supporters such as the Sensible Sentencing Trust and Family First New Zealand contended that it protected the public from the worst offenders.

[12] Following the 2020 New Zealand general election, Labour won a landslide victory, allowing it to govern alone for the first time since the mixed-member proportional representation (MMP) system was introduced in 1996.

[13] On 9 August 2022, Labour passed legislation repealing the Sentencing and Parole Reform Act with the support of the allied Green Party and Te Pāti Māori.

[17][18] Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee subsequently amended the draft legislation to exclude low-level offending and reduce the risk of disproportionate sentencing.

[4] During its introduction, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said that the Reinstating Three Strikes legislation addressed the problems associated with the previous Sentencing and Parole Reform Act 2010.

[23] Opposition MPs Duncan Webb, Tamatha Paul, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, Ginny Andersen and Tracey McLellan criticised the Reinstating Three Strikes Bill, arguing that previous legislation had failed to reduce reoffending, worsened mass incarceration and disproportionately affected Māori.

Government MPs Tim Costley, Casey Costello, James Meager, Cameron Brewer and Paulo Garcia argued that the Bill would restore law and order, deter and punish serious repeat offenders, and make communities safer.

[25] The committee also agreed to amend the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act 2003 to allow three strikes offenders to be committed to a hospital or other secure facility.

Several government MPs including Nicole McKee, James Meager, Cameron Brewer, Rima Nakhle, Paulo Garcia, and David MacLeod gave speeches in favour of the bill.

[27][2] Several opposition MPs including Duncan Webb, Lawrence Xu-Nan, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, Hūhana Lyndon, Ginny Andersen, Tangi Utikere and Tracey McLellan gave speeches opposing the bill.

Andersen argued that other policies such as drug and alcohol treatment courts and Te Pae Oranga (iwi community panels) were more effective at combating crime and recidivism than three strikes legislation.

Webb accused the Government of "pandering to a small section of the community which it seeks to nourish its hateful approaches to law and order" while Ferris said that the bill would reinforce what he regarded as a "racist" justice system.

[1] On 22 April 2024 Green Party's justice spokesperson Tamatha Paul opposed the Reinstating Three Strikes Bill, stating that it would disproportionately target Māori and contribute to New Zealand's high incarceration rate.

[30] The conservative justice advocacy group Sensible Sentencing Trust (SST) trustee Louise Parsons criticised the Reinstating Three Strikes Bill, describing the proposed law as "weak and watered-down."