Pettis Jill: Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Pettis Jill: Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill — Second Reading 
[Sitting date: 24 October 2007. Volume:643;Page:12683. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
JILL PETTIS (Labour) 
: 
 This is an important bill and I acknowledge the contribution made by other people in the House this afternoon and the very serious way in which this bill has been debated. A lot of rather extravagant claims have been made over the last few days in regard to what this bill might mean. One of the funny things about human nature is that we seem to hate a void and we feel we must fill it—fill it sometimes with inaccurate statements while we are waiting to discover the facts. I am a bit disappointed that a degree of that has happened in New Zealand over the last couple of days. 
Some of the claims that have been made about what the Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill will do have not been accurate. Those of us on this side of the House have participated in protests for as long as we can remember. Some of us have taken our children along to protests as well and some of the people we protested with in the past have made claims over the last few days suggesting that this amendment bill will mean they will no longer be able to protest and could be arrested and prosecuted as terrorists. 
 In regard to the events that took place and were carried out by the police in recent times I repeat that those people who have been detained have been detained on charges stemming from the Arms Act not the Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill that we are discussing this afternoon. We all hope that accurate information about those events will come out soon. I point out that the definition of terrorist acts expressly states that legitimate protest advocacy or dissent is not by itself sufficient basis for inferring an intent to commit a terrorist act. Therefore to the extent that a safeguard is needed to ensure that the legislation is not used to repress legitimate protest activity it is provided for within that definition. 
I think we as members of Parliament have to be very responsible in what we say at times like this. Although legislation like the Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill attracts controversy because it is not the usual run of the mill bill that we consider in New Zealand we as MPs must ensure that we are not being mischievous in deliberately misrepresenting what the bill really does. Those who misrepresent the bill do so I suggest in their own political interests rather than in the public or New Zealand’s interest. This bill does an awful lot less than what a lot of people in New Zealand over the last week have thought it does. This bill is not like laws that are passed in other countries; this bill does not create search or arrest powers. This bill does not allow indiscriminate phone tapping. It does not allow people to be detained for indefinite periods of interrogation or lengthy periods of incarceration without charge; that will not be allowed in New Zealand under the provisions contained in this bill. The bill does not permit the use of secret evidence in terrorism prosecutions and it certainly does not prohibit the media from discussing what is going on. We just ask for responsible discussion about what is going on. 
I also have to say that terrorism offences in New Zealand are treated the same as other offences. The same criminal procedures are used and the same conditions under which people are arrested for other activities apply under this bill as well. So despite all of the colourful phrases and predictions we have heard over the last few days I assure New Zealanders that they can continue to protest in a peaceful and orderly way—as they do 99.9 percent of the time. They can continue to do that. I know that protests are planned in various parts of New Zealand this Saturday; I think there is to be one on my own patch. Those protests will carry on the same on Saturday as they did last week and as they did the year before and the year before that. New Zealanders will continue to be allowed to protest in a peaceful and orderly way just as they always have. This bill is not what it has been made out to be by some people over the last few days and I suggest that people breathe through their nose as they say and consider this bill in a responsible way. Thank you.