Jones Dail: Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill (No 2) — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee 
Jones Dail: Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill (No 2) — Second Reading Instruction to Committee In Committee 
[Volume:626;Page:21632] 
DAIL JONES (NZ First) 
: 
 The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee made a very good point amongst others in his speech. I direct this question to the Minister and I did not hear him raise the matter in his speech. [ 
Interruption 
] I did not hear it; I missed it. Could the Minister confirm what the select committee has stated in its report at the bottom of the first page: “However we are now satisfied that neither the intent nor wording of the provision catches the funding of legitimate human rights humanitarian or democratic rights groups acting solely in this way. We seek the Government’s confirmation that this is indeed its intent.” So I would ask the Minister to confirm whether that is the case. 
Hon Rick Barker 
: Yes. 
DAIL JONES 
: The Minister says “Yes” so that is the Government’s intention. 
Hon Rick Barker 
: It’s in my second reading speech. 
DAIL JONES 
: Well we know what second reading speeches are like sometimes—Phar Lap would not be able to keep up with some Ministers! I am pleased to hear that. The second question I would ask is when was United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373 actually passed? 
Hon Rick Barker 
: On 28 September 2001. 
DAIL JONES 
: So we have waited almost 4 years to give effect to that part of the resolution in this legislation. 
Hon Dr Michael Cullen 
: And we are taking urgency now. 
DAIL JONES 
: —and they are taking urgency now. Well maybe that is a good ground but we have been told how urgent all of this is yet we have waited 4 years to do it. That is the point I was trying to make earlier on as well. So we are finally getting around to doing that one. 
Members have expressed interest in what happened in September 2001. They may be interested to know that I have a half-brother living in New York who worked very close to the World Trade Center. I was very concerned about his safety and I even rang the New Zealand telephone line that was made available for that purpose. So when people talk about terrorist activities and how they affect people they affect me perhaps as much as anyone else here if not more. So New Zealand First and I are very concerned to make sure there are no loopholes. 
The Minister has confirmed that that is the bill’s intent. That will go on the record because it is already in the record and I have said it already. I will withdraw my amendment because I have received that confirmation from the Minister. But I want to ask the Minister what happens to a Sri Lankan living in New Zealand who has a mother father three brothers and four sisters which is not unusual living in Sri Lanka in the tsunami area controlled by the Tamil Tigers—[ 
Interruption 
] No I did not live in Sri Lanka; everyone who lives in Sri Lanka should be very proud of that country even though the National Party wants to make a racist joke about it—whose mud hut has been wrecked and who are starving. How does that Sri Lankan get money to them? Is there any way of getting money to them other than through the Tamil Tigers? 
Dr Wayne Mapp 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I realise I should have raised this point of order a bit earlier but referring to what Mr Dail Jones said about jokes I am sure he would consider on reflection that he probably should not have said that. I take offence at what he said about racist jokes. 
DAIL JONES 
: Speaking to the point of order I thought I heard some National Party member saying when I was referring to the suffering of the people of Sri Lanka that I already come from there and trying to suggest that in some way. So I responded to that. If members want to interject they must take what they get in reply. That is in the rules of the House. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Clem Simich) 
: Mr Mapp has raised that issue. I was listening and I thought it was a perfectly reasonable response from Mr Jones. 
DAIL JONES 
: So you have ruled on it then—thank you very much Mr Chairperson. I am just asking what one does if one is a Sri Lankan or an Indonesian in that situation. One’s family overseas is starving they do not have a roof over their heads and the only way to get money through to them is by making a contribution to a group like the Tamil Tigers. Will that be a criminal offence? As I have said New Zealand First has totally supported any action taken against terrorism; we always have and we always will. Sometimes one wants to have a little discussion on a point that is raised in a select committee. I made it clear in my second reading speech that we would be supporting the legislation. Dr Mapp did not quite grasp that I suspect; otherwise he would not have made some of the comments he made earlier. 
So how would we resolve that situation for a New Zealand family with those links in Sri Lanka in that situation who want to get some aid to their family? Does that family not give it to the only group that could possibly get it to them? I am sure that if we were in that situation in New Zealand we would deliberately do everything possible knowingly wilfully etc. to try to get aid to our family in Sri Lanka or wherever. 
I have lived in Pakistan and I know how poor people can be. When we talk about poverty levels in New Zealand we just do not even know what poverty is. We are talking now about people in Sri Lanka who are below even that level after the tsunami. What do people do to keep their families alive when they know they are in a Tamil Tigers - controlled area? I would be interested to hear the Minister comment. But I repeat I will withdraw my amendment. It has caused a good discussion which is what I intended it to do and I think all the submitters would have liked that to happen.