SECRETS ACT 'BURDEN’

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33814, 10 April 1975, Page 1

SECRETS ACT 'BURDEN’

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. April 9. The Official Secrets Act in its existin g state imposed a burden on society that was “quite out of accord with society’s needs.” the Attorney-General (Dr Finlay I told Parliament today.

Dr Finlay said that the Government accepted the need for some form of security service although not necessarily the form which now existed. Dr Finlay was debating a private member’s motion from Mr D. Thomson (Nat., Stratford) criticising comments on the act and the service by both Dr Finlay and the Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Tizardj, and accusing the Government of confusion over the two issues. Mr Thomson said that the confusion had not been helped by the refusal of the Prime Minister (Mr Rowling) to make a decision on the S.T.S. and the act. Mr Rowling instead had passed the matter on to a committee.

Mr Thomson said that the late Prime Minister (Mr Norman Kirk), had been forthright in confirming the need for the 5.1.5., and people were entitled to know just where the Government stood now that Mr Kirk was no longer leading the Labour Party. Dr Finlay said that while the need for a security service was accepted, the form, the service should take was a matter for intelligent debate. The Government intended to allow this debate. Defending himself against Opposition charges that his comment before the Sutch trial had been reckless and irresponsible. Dr Finlay said

his job had been to see the' case against Dr Sutch was a good one. and that it should properly be allowed to proceed. Dr Finlay said that he had chosen to publish both the decision and the reasons leading up to that decision, A decision unsupported by reasons was of little value in law.

>1 “I was careful to choose] lithe words I used,” he said.! 11 “I referred to the evidence! -I but refrained from discussing lit.” I That the Judge should have! > commented on his remarks] • was quite usual in any case] which had attracted wide: ] publicity. The burden imposed by the i act was quite out of accord with society’s needs as seen

Hby an hysterical period of the .!mid-19505, he said. h The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Muldoon) said that ’Dr Finlav had found himself ■I not guilty of impropriety before the Sutch trial, but this ■I was not the view of many [lawyers and judges. The Prime Minister had publicly admitted that a ! former first secretary of the Soviet Embassy, Mr Dimitri Razgarvarov, was an agent of the K.G.B. “If there are active K.G.B. men in this country—or C.I.A. men—surely we must have an agency in this country looking after our interests,” he said. Mr Muldoon said it had also been alleged that a member of the staff of the Chinese Embassy in Wellington was an intelligence agent. Mr T. J. Young (Lab., Hutt > said that the rights and liberties of individuals were unduly affected by the S.I.S. as it stood at present. Under the National Partv. the S.I.S. had interfered with the legitimate activities ol students, and members of political parties including the Labour Party.