Robertson H V Ross: Counter-Terrorism Bill — Second Reading 
Robertson H V Ross: Counter-Terrorism Bill — Second Reading 
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The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: I remind members on my right of Speaker’s ruling 51/5 which says that running commentaries are out of order. If members wish to make a speech they can take the next call. 
RON MARK 
: Thank you. The bill is good and it is necessary. We will support it. I also compliment people who have problems that I do not have; people who see in the bill all sorts of things that they fear in terms of encroachments on human rights. Mr Locke has fought very hard and long for the Green Party expressing his view; his minority report is there for everybody to read. I do not have a problem with the tracking device clause. I do not have a problem with the extra powers that the Customs Service has been given. I do not have a problem with the extra investigative powers that the Minister spoke of in his speech. The provisions are necessary. The threat we face around the world is greater than us. We no longer live in a benign environment. We have had bombings on our doorstep and are likely to have more in the future and legislation like this is necessary. 
Just like other members I would like to think that this Government and Governments to come will reinforce our defence and security capabilities by increasing defence budgets—as New Zealand First has recommended—to 2 percent of GDP so that we are able to play a stronger and more positive role in the suppression of terrorism internationally. We cannot continue to advance the Labour Party’s view that we should enter the global market and the global economy with free-trade agreements and ignore our responsibilities to the world in which we seek to trade. We cannot ignore our security responsibilities and sit back and expect everybody else to provide that umbrella of protection. Adhering to the requirements of the UN resolutions in respect of dealing with and suppressing terrorism is something that we must live up to and slowly we are getting there. But it takes more than that; it takes a solid commitment to the establishment of competent capable and meaningful defence forces and that includes personnel and as a nation we have failed to live up to our commitments in that area. We live in a time when our police force outnumbers our Defence Force and that is a curious fact. There are 7000 uniformed and non-uniformed staff in the police force and we would be lucky to scrape up that number in the Defence Force. 
Stephen Franks 
: The enemy is within now. 
RON MARK 
: One could say that. As we march towards securing the “People’s Democratic Republic of New Zealand” we could believe that that is happening right now. 
I compliment the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade on the work that has been done on the bill and I compliment the staff. I compliment the entire select committee. The debate was long and the consideration was long. There were discussions on human rights issues that absolutely seemed to go on for year after year. My only comment would be that we can sit here and discuss those human rights issues but we should talk to the families who lost people in Bali about human rights issues—bearing in mind that we have just seen remembrance services held in Bali for that sad occasion. Sadly there will be more bombings in the Western World and more people in the Western World will die. That is not something we can completely prevent but legislation like this might well arm us with the tools necessary to prevent it from happening here in New Zealand and hopefully along the way protect some of our friends and allies be it Australia Britain Singapore or whomever. The bill is a good bill. Let us get it through and get it voted on.