Ryall Tony: Government Communications Security Bureau Bill — In Committee 
Ryall Tony: Government Communications Security Bureau Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:607;Page:4388] 
Hon TONY RYALL (NZ National—Bay of Plenty) 
: 
 I want to pick up on the point that the Hon Richard Prebble made about the vital need for Parliament to have a debate on this bill. Debate requires that there is a contribution from Government members of the Committee. We have not heard one Government member take a call to— 
Hon Member 
: Why do you think that is? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: Well we have not heard one Government member seek a call to justify this bill which is in the name of their Prime Minister. Not one Labour member has sought to take a call to explain what is going on. I think I know why. This Government has been seeking to perpetrate a misconception on the people of New Zealand. This Government has been trying to convince the people of New Zealand that they have no involvement in what is going on in Iraq no involvement with the Americans and no involvement with the British or Australians. The simple fact of the matter is that I am sure there is a level of information sharing going on. Whether it is at a low level I do not know but this organisation is one of the apparatus by which our left-wing Government is able to spy on the activities of other entities in this country. We have a Prime Minister who is trying not to be involved in any of this international conflict but the fact is the Prime Minister is promoting legislation that enshrines in the statute of this country an organisation whose raison d’être is spying on other entities and this Prime Minister and her party do not want to be seen to be debating that matter at a time when they are trying to distance themselves from involvement. 
What I have to say to this Government is: “Accept your responsibilities and take a call in this debate.” because we need to know what the Government thinks. I have to say that right now this is a country where we should be fearful for our security because there is no doubt that the Islamic fundamentalists and ideologues who are perpetuating great violence in many parts of the world are anti-Western. This Government would like to think they are just anti-American. Well they are actually anti-Western. The fact that so many of our cousins across the Tasman lost their lives in Bali would surely be enough of a message to the “lefties” in this Parliament that this country is involved as a potential target for those organisations. That is why we need the sorts of legislation that support the intelligence-gathering structures. 
I am concerned that we have a party in Parliament—the Greens who one day aspire to be part of a Government—who at every opportunity rail against the apparatus of the State being applied for the security of the State and the security of New Zealanders. Because time and time again when we come to passing legislation to support the security infrastructure of New Zealand there is always one party against it—namely the Greens. But is it not interesting that the very freedoms that Mr Locke and Mr Donald have to protest against the Government and the Parliament of New Zealand are denied to millions of people in Iraq. Millions of people in Iraq do not have the opportunity to stand up and protest against their Government. No members of Parliament in Iraq have an opportunity to stand up and protest against their Government but we have that right in New Zealand because we use every means we have to enforce our freedoms and our right to be free. Part of that freedom means actually taking the unpleasant decisions of having to support a security infrastructure and the apparatus necessary to find out who is plotting against us.