Peters attacks anti-raids protesters
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has attacked those protesting against last week's police raids, saying it is "total humbug" that every Maori in the country is innocent.
In his first comments about the raids on activists - which occurred while he was overseas as Foreign Minister - Mr Peters called on the Maori Party and Green Party to hear all the evidence the police held before criticising them. Mr Peters would not confirm if he had been briefed by either the Security Intelligence Service or the police about the raids, but it is highly likely he has been.
"The idea that every Maori is innocent, that every purpose they have is right and lawful, is absolute total humbug," Mr Peters said. "Across the population of our country there are some activities which are suspect and in the interest of this country's security and safety the police need powers and they need to be able to act. Let's see what they come up with."
Mr Peters' barbs came as Parliament voted 109 to 12 to continue with the controversial Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill, which tightens up anti-terrorism legislation, despite last Monday's raids.
The law changes were opposed by the Greens and the Maori Party, who have been critical of aspects of the police raids.
Act also voted against the tighter terrorism laws, arguing that by passing such legislation the terrorists were winning. "The very freedoms that we are trying to protect are being eroded," Act leader Rodney Hide told the House.
The bill creates an offence of committing a terrorist act, which carries a sentence of up to life imprisonment, and among other changes it puts the Prime Minister in charge of three-yearly reviews of which entities are designated as terrorist groups.
Green MP Keith Locke said additional 'anti-terrorism' laws were not needed because other criminal laws covered serious violent offending.
"We don't need a parallel set of laws called anti-terrorism laws where higher penalties are opposed simply because the offender has a political motive," Mr Locke said. "That political motive may be shared by many ordinary peaceful New Zealanders."
Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell said the debate couldn't have come at a more pertinent time, because last week's raids had had a major impact on the nation. "It was an armed and terrifying invasion of a community, an action which has carried a negative stereotype of Tuhoe to the nation, as the tribe of terrorists," he said.
Labour and National supported the bill, with New Zealand First, United Future, Jim Anderton's Progressives, and Parliament's independent MPs Taito Phillip Field and Gordon Copeland.
Labour Cabinet minister Mark Burton said the bill met international requirements and was in no way related to recent events.
Meanwhile, police were also challenged yesterday over the taking of photographs of people who went through checkpoints set up during last week's raids.
Acting Deputy Commissioner for Operations, Jon White, said photographs were taken as a precautionary move because a number of search warrants were being executed and police wanted an ability to follow up some things later. The photographs had now been deleted, he said.
He did not believe that taking the photographs had breached anyone's rights, Mr White told Radio New Zealand. But that looks set to be tested by an investigation because complaints will be laid with the Police Complaints Authority and Human Rights Commission.
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