Search & Surveillance Bill! How should we make the best use of it?

Kia Ora,

Over the last wee while have being involved in a debate with people who want to stop the Search & Surveillance Bill going through in the New Zealand Parliament.

First issue is are the provisions in this bill required?

Looking at it from a security point of view, yes!

At the present point of time all the advantages are with those committing crime or planning terrorist activities.

The concerns are that the provisions will be abused.

Of course like any law once passed they are always open to abuse, especially if they have been badly put together.

That is where those that oppose it should be putting their energy.

Recent events in the US in particular have shown that even if you stop a bill like this, its provisions will appear in another bill, often not related. In NZ the usual action is put something contraversial in front of parliament & whilst everyone is arguing over that, sneak something else through under urgency.

For example some surveillance facets have allegedly shown up in new powers given to the US Federal Reserve & in another unrelated bill taxing of gold bullion has allegedly shown up.

Even the forming of the US Federal Reserve itself was by the renaming of a previously rejected bill.

The point here is you either make the bill work & ensure there are good checks & balances or risk having it show up somewhere else without a good look at it.

As I have recently made a point of is the proposed new Security Personnel Bill is only good as toilet paper, but that doesn't say I don't think we need a new bill. In fact I have been arguing for it since entering the NZ Security Industry in 1997.

The danger here though is that the powers that be will go with the pieces of toilet paper put together under the previous government & when things go wrong there will be a knee jerk reaction & another totally unworkable law will emerge.

It is better if those proposed bills, as pointed out, are worked through to ensure they are not only workable but also have the right checks & balances in place.

Then properly used they will make the country a safer place to live.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz