Brownlee GerryHon GERRY BROWNLEE (National—Ilam): One of the interesting things that came up during the discussions in the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee—particularly as the select committee's report was being put together—was the strong suggestion from the Greens that the reason why they had insisted on the dilution of this bill to the almost nullity that it is now was because they did not want to see another situation arise like that endured by Ahmed Zaoui some years ago.Now many people will not know that name; there will be others who do recall that name. So he was a gentleman who came to New Zealand in the early 2000s and was detained because he did have Algerian Government convictions against him for engaging in terrorist activities for being part of what was designated by them as a terrorist organisation. He had previously been an imam and he had stood for election in Algeria with a party that was known to be a fundamentalist Islamic group—very very fundamentalist. Now he eventually after the civil war started in Algeria fled the country to Europe. That's from where he made his way to New Zealand—Hon Mark Mitchell: On a fake passport.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: Now he did come in on a fake passport and he was detained here. It was a Labour Government in office at the time and he was detained for quite a long number of years. Eventually the New Zealand security service decided that perhaps the case they had against him was not as robust as it should be and their objection to his being granted refugee status was removed. Eventually—interestingly—under a National Government he got citizenship and today he does live in New Zealand and is for all intents and purposes a law-abiding citizen.But that circumstance was quite unique; it was one person. While there was no eventual proof that he was a terrorist threat to New Zealand there was a discernible history that caused the caution and for the authorities under a Labour Governmental to arrest him and imprison him for quite a long period of time. So it seems ridiculous that we have a Labour-led Government now who have New Zealand First—the party that counts themselves as being a strong law and order party; mind you they touted themselves as being the farmers' friend that didn't last very long—also agreeing with this odd position being taken by the Green Party. I think the real point here is that all we would want to see is a bill that dots the i's and crosses the t's and a bill that is not seen to give the benefit of the doubt to someone turning up at our borders for whom there is at least some known proof that they have been part of a terrorist organisation that they have been associated with terrorists or that they have facilitated or supported terrorist activity. This bill simply is not strong enough.Louisa Wall: This would allow us to restrict Mark Taylor's movements. Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: The whole of the situation around Mr Zaoui took years to resolve but was it a lack of caution? Was Helen Clark's Government wrong to detain him? Now Louisa Wall would now say Yes they were we made a dreadful mistake and so we shouldn't have done that so now for anyone else that comes we're going to give them the benefit of the doubt." More benefit of doubt than for deported New Zealanders from Australia—unbelievable.Louisa Wall: Clause 14—interim control order.Hon GERRY BROWNLEE: Well I would invite the member who's calling out with almost unintelligible commentary to take a call. Stand up and defend the Government's position. There's no defence—there's no defence. All we're getting is a constant sort of emotional response to the fact that the National Party hasn't done what it's told and that's the problem here.You can clearly see that there are weaknesses and deficiencies that should be strengthened and no discussion on those just a sort of cursory saying "Oh well we'll make one or two little changes." but nothing substantial and we still end up with the weak bill. We are not going to support it."