1. Police—Collection and Use of Personal InformationDAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Minister of PoliceORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSPolice—Collection and Use of Personal Information1. DAVID SEYMOUR (Leader—ACT) to the Minister of Police: Does she believe the public has a right to be concerned about Police conducting roadside breath-screening tests with the intention of collecting personal information for investigations unrelated to road safety; if not why not?Hon JUDITH COLLINS (Minister of Police): Although there is no ministerial responsibility for the genuinely held views of members of the New Zealand public and both section 16 of the Policing Act 2008 and the Cabinet Manual preclude my intervention—in particular with policing operations—I can confirm that the Commissioner of Police has referred this incident to the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) for investigation.David Seymour: Does the Minister believe it is a good use of Police resources to interrogate law-abiding people attending a peaceful meeting of an advocacy group given an 18 percent spike in burglary reported by Statistics New Zealand just this week?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I think I have answered that question very clearly. This is not a matter that I can comment on. It is currently with the Independent Police Conduct Authority and for me to make a statement about it or have any sort of view would in fact actually try to influence the IPCA—and this is not a Labour Government; this is a National Government.David Seymour: Can the Minister comment on whether she is completely satisfied with how Police currently allocates its resources given increases in assault sexual assault abduction kidnapping robbery and extortion but no reported increases in rogue advocacy groups in Maungaraki?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: Clearly the member is not aware that road policing is actually funded out of the Ministry of Transport not out of Police. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order!David Seymour: Does the Minister agree with the Privacy Commissioner John Edwards when he said there would be pretty troubling aspects" to an operation that used the statutory power and indeed funding provided under the Land Transport Act to gather personal information for a different purpose?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I am not sure how many times I need to tell that member that I have no intention of wading into an investigation that the Independent Police Conduct Authority is undertaking. I take my responsibilities very seriously and I would refer the member to not only section 16 of the Policing Act 2008 but also the Cabinet Manual on this issue. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order!David Seymour: Does the Minister have any views about how a police force should operate and how it should allocate its resources?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: Yes I do. One of the ways I believe that police should operate is to not have politicians telling them how to do their job. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order!David Seymour: Will she guarantee that someone will eventually be held accountable for this gross breach of civil liberties?Hon JUDITH COLLINS: I think the member is jumping to conclusions. I suggest he leave it to the Independent Police Conduct Authority which is the right and proper place and people to look into this issue.David Seymour: Supplementary question.Mr SPEAKER: No the member has used his allocation."