Peters WinstonASIA-PACIFIC ECONOMIC COOPERATION (APEC 2021) BILLFirst ReadingRt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Minister of Foreign Affairs): I move That the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC 2021) Bill be now read a first time. I nominate the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee to consider the bill. At the appropriate time I intend to move that the bill be reported to the House by 1 April 2020. Members of the House the APEC 2021 bill seeks agreement to ensure our country's legislation meets the unique security requirements of hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum otherwise known as APEC in 2021. New Zealand joined APEC as a founding member way back in 1989 and being part of this forum has helped boost our prosperity and place in the Asia-Pacific through its focus on economic growth and free trade. You could say our membership has helped New Zealand to speak the language of Asia and increasingly the Americas too. We have built strong trusting relationships and it's enabled us to join around the table with other economies facing similar challenges. Being one of 21 members has made it easier for New Zealand businesses to trade and provided a supportive environment for us to pursue key free-trade agreements.By hosting APEC in 2021 New Zealand will take a leadership role in this region which is vitally important to us. It'll be our chance to host world leaders and international media and show what New Zealand can do and how we can do it. To a great extent New Zealand's economic wellbeing and continued prosperity relies on our APEC friends and the work we are doing to advance regional economic integration. As hosts we take on the responsibility of leading the year's agenda. It will be our turn to play our part in continuing to strengthen APEC to ensure we successfully address the many challenges we face from the digital economy to inequality sustainable trade and so much more. Many of you will remember when we last hosted APEC in 1999—well perhaps not some of you; but some of us do remember—with great distinction. We saw two significant diplomatic milestones: the first ever visit of a Chinese President to New Zealand and only the second ever visit of a sitting US President to our country. Hosting APEC in 2021 is an important chance to take full advantage of the way we host the way we lead the agenda how we engage with a key part of the world and the way we showcase New Zealand and our sustainable approach. Our year of hosting will provide and involve meetings between world leaders Ministers senior officials business leaders regional youth and media. We are expecting up to 20000 people to take part over the course of the year including up to 20 world leaders and many Ministers during leaders' week in November each with specific security support from motorcades to foreign protection officers. The number of high-profile people visiting means a need for tailored security approaches. We hosted APEC in 1999 but given the changes to our global security landscape it's no exaggeration to say that APEC 2021 is an international event of the size scale and complexity that this country has never seen before. Competence in our ability to host a safe and secure APEC is not just important to our own sense of responsibility as hosts; it's also of paramount importance to leaders and officials from across the region.Another point to make here is our need to help the general public feel safe and secure throughout our host year. When we last hosted APEC in 1999 the world was a considerably different place. We don't need to outline the many international new and local incidents that have scarred our world and compelled us to think more stringently about security and the what-ifs. The APEC New Zealand team is an all-of-Government team led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. They have conducted an analysis of our existing laws and found specific legislation is needed in certain areas to accommodate APEC's unprecedented size scale and complexity. That is what this bill will address. The APEC 2021 bill is about ensuring that New Zealand police have the resources needed in terms of people and technology. The bill will provide for the temporary security and safety of areas around key meeting locations as well as motorcades during the three weeks of the leaders' event. It must be emphasised that this legislation is temporary. Many of these aspects will only be in force during the leaders' event period of three weeks in November 2021. When all APEC meetings have finished and our visitors have left our shores the legislation will expire and things will be as they were. I will now outline the six points of this temporary legislation. First during the leaders' event period of three weeks plus periods of required training in 2020 and 2021 a small number of members of the armed forces will be trained and integrated into the New Zealand police force. They will provide specialist support and be given constabulary powers. The legislation enables the Commissioner of Police to draw upon an existing resource and capabilities in New Zealand to bolster our security resourcing. Members of the Defence Force are already highly trained making this a pragmatic and cost-effective approach. The small number of Defence Force members will be under police control at all times and will be held to the same accountability as New Zealand police officers. The second point also covers the leaders' event period plus periods of required training. A number of Government agency staff private security guards and Australian police officers may be given limited powers to fulfil their security roles if required. This part of the legislation is designed to free up New Zealand police officers to carry out public-facing roles which require a greater understanding of policing in the New Zealand way including knowledge of our laws and culture. The third point covers the leaders' event period only and provides policing powers to secure APEC venues and enable limited road closures for leaders travelling by motorcade and some restrictions to movement on water if that is required. This point reflects the security needs of the leaders' event period and the need to provide safe meeting venues accommodation and transportation to visiting leaders and officials for the short duration of their stay. The security areas will be temporary—for example a few days as meetings take place or a few minutes as a motorcade passes by. The APEC New Zealand team will work closely with regional stakeholders such as the Auckland Council and the general public to ensure the majority of these areas are communicated to the public in advance to minimise disruption. These powers will also include the ability to search a private home if inside a security area but will also be possible with a judicial warrant or the owner-occupier's consent.Point four covers all meetings during APEC year and allows the use of wireless electronic countermeasure technology subject to the approval of the Commissioner of Police. This technology is generally used to scan an area and then jam distort or confuse signals coming from technology used in a threatening way such as a mobile phone - operated bomb. This technology will be mostly used for very short periods of time like minutes as a motorcade passes by and the public will in most cases be notified in advance unless responding to an immediate risk. There is potential for anyone standing next to a motorcade or security area to lose mobile signal for a few seconds or minutes as the motorcade passes after which everything will return to normal.The fifth point which also covers meetings during APEC year provides increased powers for the NZ Police to respond to risks posed by unmanned aerial vehicles such as drones and piloted aircraft. Throughout APEC 2021 we will effectively have small no-flying areas near some meeting and accommodation venues. These no-fly areas will be shared ahead of time minimising the chance of public drone-users being affected.The final point of the APEC 2021 bill: during the leaders' event period certain foreign protection officers will be allowed to carry firearms subject to the approval of the police commissioner and subject to conditions the commissioner may impose such as the type of weapon and the number that can be brought into New Zealand. These arms will only be carried by highly trained protection officers while protecting a world leader and will be recorded on entry to and exit from New Zealand.This final point acknowledges that with the complexity of the security operation for leaders' week and the number of leaders who will be in New Zealand concurrently some APEC economies will expect to carry certain weapons to ensure the safety of their leader. The APEC 2021 bill manages this legislating that weapons can only be carried while securing a world leader. Otherwise they must be securely stored by the New Zealand Police. This legislation creates a controlled process for managing any weapons brought into New Zealand. It needs to be pointed out that this is only to carry weapons to protect certain dignitaries. If the weapons are used the foreign protection officers will be subject to the New Zealand law.Members this legislation has been created following detailed analysis of existing legislation and the unique and unprecedented requirements of hosting APEC. Welcoming 20000 people to our country including the leaders of the world's three largest economies brings with it significant opportunities but significant security challenges as well. I understand that some of the public may want to assemble and have their voices heard during the APEC year. The right to do so is fundamental to our democracy and not challenged by this legislation.Can I just conclude by saying this legislation seeks to minimise the impact of APEC 2021 on New Zealanders and to keep them safe. It supports our preparation and ability to respond to any risks that might arise in 2021. It will mean we can welcome and host our guests from APEC economies in a safe and secure environment that works to enhance New Zealand's prosperity. I want to thank those members of this Parliament who have signalled their support for this legislation. I commend the bill to the House.