Pettis Jill: Customs and Excise Amendment Bill (No 2) — Third Reading 
Pettis Jill: Customs and Excise Amendment Bill (No 2) — Third Reading 
[Volume:637;Page:7809] 
JILL PETTIS (Labour) 
: 
 I am pleased to join the debate this evening and I was privileged to sit on the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee when this bill was being considered. I pay tribute to the Customs Service as have other speakers before me this evening and I acknowledge the very important role it plays in New Zealand society. Fifteen percent of the revenue this country earns is collected by the Customs Service. We all know that the Customs Service is a very historic service and has played a strategically important role in New Zealand society. In all developed nations customs services historically have played and currently play a very important role. I with other members of the select committee have visited the Customs Service and looked at its operations at the Port of Auckland the Auckland Mail Centre and Auckland International Airport. 
Our Customs Service fulfils a wide variety of roles and it has many many responsibilities. We do not always pay tribute to and have cognisance of the role it plays in maintaining strict biosecurity in New Zealand and the very important role it plays in keeping our borders safe. I think it worthy to note also that Customs Service staff are fairly representative of New Zealand society as a whole. The service draws its staff from right across a large majority of the groups that are represented amongst the New Zealand people and I commend it for that. 
The nature of border management has changed considerably in more recent years as we see the continuous increase in the volumes of trade and travel. Many of us in this House travel internationally more often than do some sectors of society as we go to international fora and meetings. We all know first hand how incredibly busy airports are. I know I often wonder just where all those people are going. So border security has changed and heightened considerably in just the last decade. 
There are increasingly varied sources and natures of risks. Terrorism is a word that unfortunately we are all too familiar with. The increase in import of drugs and transportation of drugs throughout the world is a problem that has grown over recent years and sadly I have to say we do not see any end to that at the moment so vigilance and detection are critically important in that area. Weapon proliferation unfortunately has also increased and identity fraud is growing as well. As a consequence of those four items I have mentioned there is increased international emphasis on trade and travel security. So this bill really is an investment in the future security of all New Zealanders and in my opinion it is a very wise investment. 
The Customs Service has seen a lot of developments since 2001. The Act was amended in 2004 following the events on 11 September 2001 in America and there has been increased focus on travel and supply chain security law enforcement and immigration matters throughout the world. Since 2004 further areas have been identified to enhance border security and integrated border management practices which has led to the current bill. The key provisions in the bill refer to the use of electronic devices to border processing obligations to an extension of the export control regime to searching persons for dangerous items and to the ability to deal with unlawful travel documents. When we visited the Customs Service in Auckland we saw many of the forged documents that had been detected by the very skilled staff. The bill also refers to the detention of risk goods and to information-matching for benefit purposes as well. 
Earlier on tonight members talked about the service’s ability now through this bill to require somebody who has been detained not to use an electronic device such as a mobile phone when he or she could be in the process of thwarting enforcement activity. That is a very important and essential measure given the increased technology that is available to very ordinary people—people who may look ordinary but who are up to nefarious and clearly illegal activities. 
This bill clarifies the Customs Service’s border management role. Importantly it also builds more interoperability between agencies that have a very real interest in border-related matters. It builds on the existing powers the Customs Service has and provides a very measured response to border management that quite appropriately balances the State’s border requirements and the protection of the rights of individuals. Importantly it protects the rights of law-abiding people who are travelling for legal purposes so that they may travel in as unimpeded a way as possible. 
This is an important bill and it is being broadly supported across the House. I think as responsible members of Parliament we realise how important this bill is to individuals’ safety and the safety of our borders. I thank other members who were on the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee for the cooperative way in which the committee worked. I close by reiterating my support and that of my colleagues on this side of the House for the Customs Service and all of the staff. 
Bill read a third time.