Mark Ron: Counter-Terrorism Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
Mark Ron: Counter-Terrorism Bill — Instruction to CommitteeCWH In Committee 
[Volume:612;Page:9353] 
RON MARK (NZ First) 
: 
 Listening to the debate whilst I do recognise and understand the concerns that have been expressed by the various members this is one area of debate that was given considerable airtime in the select committee process. Many of the concerns that Mr Locke is consistently raising—I give him full credit for the consistency of his views and for championing of those views—I am perfectly satisfied they have been well canvassed. 
Whilst I can accept and understand fully how he might feel that a particular Government’s propensity to carpet-bomb our entire country with 1080 poison might well be construed by some to be an act that is adverse and likely to cause grave economic damage to our economy if it were to become public knowledge throughout the rest of the world and might in some people’s interpretation be covered by this bill it would be interesting to know from the Minister himself how this Government would respond to charges brought against it by people on the West Coast and down south who believed that carpet-bombing the Blue Mountains with 1080 poison is in fact an act of economic terrorism. Consider the implications to our international markets to our meat industry if the world in general found out that we were dumping hundreds of tonnes of 1080 poison—a product that has been specifically banned and outlawed in the United States. Indeed in the United States they pay bounties of up to $20000 to individuals who catch other people in the act of distributing 1080 poison. I can understand that but I was given absolute assurance in the select committee that the way these subclauses have been couched is only to capture people who genuinely it is believed by the judges responsible for giving such warrants do pose a threat to the country the citizens of New Zealand and its economic stability. 
I can well understand how there are many people out there who believe that the mere election of a Labour Government is a threat to the economic stability of this country and might be construed as an act of terrorism committed upon it by some misguided New Zealanders who voted that way. It might be construed as an act of terrorism committed upon the country by United Party members who went into one election championing the centre right’s views and then promptly leapt into bed with Helen Clark in what some people might describe as a gross act of terrorism committed upon this nation. We do say such things with a little bit of tongue-in-cheek. 
I understand the concerns expressed by the ACT party and the Green Party with respect to civil liberties but I am on record as being one who has said on many occasions that we fail to see the wood for the trees when we are focusing on civil liberties. Mr Locke may well say that we are becoming guided by emotion and we need to take time to pause and consider more widely the implication of clauses 7 and 8. In fact the checks and balances are most definitely there. If the Minister would care to take a call and allay some of the fears that are raised in the various amendments it might go a long way to cause some people to reconsider their vote in support of those amendments that have been put forward by Mr Locke. 
Civil liberties are important. They are what separate democracies from dictatorships. I understand that. I understand that we have a duty and responsibility to protect the rights of people and their ability to express freely their disapproval of Government policies. But I am not one who looks upon expressions of viewpoints such as those that occurred during the Springbok tour as being a right or proper way in which those people should have been allowed to demonstrate their views. I look upon the Springbok tour demonstrations which some people held up as an example when we discussed this bill as acts aided and abetted by gangs organised crime and people who had ulterior motives. If this legislation would have seen many of those people locked up then I for one would have been quite happy about that.