Brown Peter: Aviation Security Legislation Bill — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Brown Peter: Aviation Security Legislation Bill — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 11 September 2007. Volume:642;Page:11745. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
PETER BROWN (Deputy Leader—NZ First) 
: 
 There is a lot of meat in Part 1 and I think it is worth outlining to somebody who might be listening to what it is all about. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: There’s no one listening Peter. 
PETER BROWN 
: Well there might be; one never knows one’s luck. Anyway we will give it a go just in case somebody is listening. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: It must be a very sorry individual who is listening to this tonight. 
PETER BROWN 
: I think the member might have a point there but one never knows. Part 1 establishes a new breed of official who is being referred to as an inflight security officer. We should make it quite clear that inflight security officers are police officers who are appointed by the Commissioner of Police in consultation with the Director of Civil Aviation and further in consultation with the industry at large. So it is important that people understand that an inflight security officer is not just anybody who has come in off the street and got a job as a security officer. Security officers are well trained in all aspects of the operation. 
In respect of arming inflight security officers it is a sad day when we even have to consider arming them. As I recall Air New Zealand told us quite categorically that if it got to that situation it would probably cancel the flight. Air New Zealand certainly does not visualise flying around the skies of the Pacific or wherever with a lot of armed policemen on board if it can possibly avoid it. 
But there is another aspect to Part 1. It enlarges the area where it is prohibited to take firearms and explosives. [ 
Interruption 
] Mr Bennett should listen because he was on the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee and he clearly has not taken on board what that committee has been told. It enlarges that area by going further than the aircraft itself by going into sterile areas and security-enhanced areas. So it will be an offence to take a firearm an explosive or anything in that category into one of those areas—that is well before they get anywhere close to the aircraft or one would hope so. It also allows for the search of passengers. We were told that with modern technology passengers can be searched quite thoroughly by see-through X-ray systems— 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: I quite like the pat-down search. 
PETER BROWN 
: It is a bit more than that actually. There is equipment we are told that can go past the clothing and see the individual’s body. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Naked? 
PETER BROWN 
: Naked. In certain circumstances I tell Mr Williamson that would be a horrible thought. But I commend the Minister. He has taken this on board and he has put forward Supplementary Order Paper 140 which New Zealand First will support also to prohibit that. I will read from it although I am certain the Minister will take a call later on. The proposed subsection (5B) states: “Despite subsection (5A)”—which provides for technology to search people—“with respect to a person searched under subsection (1) a member of the police an aviation officer a Customs officer or an agent of the carrier authorised by the carrier for the purpose may not use an aid or device that produces an unclothed image of the person.” I tell the Committee that if the Minister had not produced that Supplementary Order Paper then that would be a very worrying concern to many people who travel—certainly to the many people who travel on a leisure-type basis. 
Hon Maurice Williamson 
: Look round this House and imagine seeing it naked. 
PETER BROWN 
: The thought appals me. There are certain places I could go and if I look around the Chamber and look around other places one might have a more pleasant thought. But it is important that this Supplementary Order Paper is attached to this legislation and I commend the Minister for producing it. 
With regard to inflight security officers I must comment on what Keith Locke said because he has tended to put the wind up people somewhat. These guys are there to do a job. They have certain responsibilities; they can react to a situation on board an aircraft. If they see trouble they can fully restore the command of the aircraft to the pilot in charge the captain. 
Unfortunately we live in very volatile times. Not so long ago I saw a programme on Discovery Channel on TV and I would just like to relay this. The programme showed how many aviation road rage incidents there are. An average of one passenger a month is taken off an aircraft— 
David Bennett 
: Road rage? 
PETER BROWN 
: Well I do not know what we would call it. I understand road rage but I do not know what we would call this. Would it be aircraft rage or air rage? It is quite a serious problem in the UK. Indeed I think there are places in Canada that advertise they will allow airlines to land so they can take off passengers who misbehave become offensive use weapons assault flight attendants or what have you. So it is a serious problem. We might kid ourselves that it does not happen in New Zealand but I say to members that airline travel is becoming more and more the common mode of travel particularly overseas and sooner or later someone here will do something we do not approve of and there will be a need for us to have security officers on board. I regret having to say that but that is the way the world is heading. So New Zealand First supports this concept and certainly supports this part.