Mark Ron: Government Communications Security Bureau Bill — In Committee 
Mark Ron: Government Communications Security Bureau Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:607;Page:4379] 
RON MARK (NZ First) 
: 
 New Zealand First will be supporting the passage of this bill but without the amendments I have heard of late for they do not make sense to us. I must also put on the record my expressions of concern that the Government does not seem to want to contribute in any way shape or form to this debate. That tends to indicate to me that this Government true to form does not want to talk about some of the very conservative and conventional things it is required to do as a Government because at the very core and heart of its Labour being it does not like them. 
When Labour members get into debates on the hustings in future I will hear all their rhetoric again about protecting human rights privacy and all of that. They will be big on the jaw out on the hustings but not on this issue we are debating tonight—in fact they have not debated it. They know it is a reality of life that such bills need to go through the House and become law but they do not want to have to admit they did it. If that were not so they would be on their feet seeking a call in this debate and making a contribution so that their words were on the record. However it will be on the record that they have been silent. My interpretation is that their heart lies very much in what they are hearing from the Greens; they just do not have the bottle to stand up and say so. 
I draw attention to a particular part of the bill—[ 
Interruption 
] If Jill Pettis has something to say she should take a call. She should not parrot over there like the old fishmonger’s wife. She should stand up and take a call. 
Jill Pettis 
: Get the bill passed. You won’t get on the front page of the  
New Zealand Herald 
 with this speech. 
RON MARK 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. You know what I am going to comment on. I really do think that in terms of the Standing Orders if the junior whip for the Government wishes to interject rarely and reasonably and with a little bit of humour that is one thing but if she wants to keep up a running commentary during my speech she should do the proper thing—that is take a call and make a 5-minute speech. 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I thank the honourable member for that but it was not a running commentary. It was getting close but it was not quite there. 
RON MARK 
: I also signal to the Government that I find it a little strange that we are approving the functions of the bureau in clause 8 and I will touch on gathering foreign intelligence intercepting communications and all of that— 
The CHAIRPERSON (H V Ross Robertson) 
: We are doing Part 1 clauses 2 to 5. 
RON MARK 
: I am sorry but I will get to that. I signal now that there are areas of the bill such as Part 1 where I have failed to find any determination by the Government to deal with acts of organised foreign crime that are now being seen in our streets in terms of the distribution of methamphetamine. Those are international issues of security for our nation. I have yet to hear any Government member say how he or she intends using the Government Communications Security Bureau Bill to shore up some of our weak laws and weak policing in respect of international crime and foreign interventions into our society because that is proving to be detrimental to the health and well-being of our nation today and indeed is undermining law and order in our streets. 
 I argue—and I am waiting to hear from a Government member—that the issues of security and the well-being of our young people and of our nation are surely deserving of the attention of such an organisation. Therefore I expect to hear some mention of those issues and the authorisation given to the Government Communications Security Bureau to act on them in conjunction with New Zealand Police. There is plenty of time still and maybe the Minister or the very loud and vocal junior whip over there might care to stand and enlighten us all as to how this bill will aid the police in protecting our interests from improper undue and illegal foreign interference in New Zealand. 
The question was put that the amendment set out on Supplementary Order Paper 61 in the name of Keith Locke to clause 4 be agreed to.