Phone-tapping laws on the way

Press, 27 August 1977, Page 2

Phone-tapping laws on the way

By

CEDRIC MENTIPLAY

The week in the House

After a quiet week in Parliament, the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) confirmed on Thursday, the day of his departure for the South, Pacific Forum at Port Moresby, that legislation giving limited authority for telephone tapping and mail interception would be introduced within a fortnight. The news was not exactly secret. “The Press” carried a leader-page article on the subject on August 8. It had been revealed earlier that some National Party members had misgivings about the fact that, as head of the Security Intelligence Service, the Prime Minister would have the ultimate authority for the approval of electronic surveillance and the opening of mail in specific instances. It is recalled that at this year’s National Party conference in Dunedin a remit put forward by the retiring women’s vice-president (Mrs Julie Cameron), that the decision in such cases should be put in the hands of a member of the Judiciary, was passed over. Thus it seems that the Contraception, Sterilisation,

and Abortion Bill will be joined soon by another cause celebre — that of the protection of privacy. The Opposition can surely be excused for drawing attention to the dangers of vesting such power in the hands of a political rather than a judicial authority. Inside the House, the week was dull but progressive. Only three measures were completed, but many others were advanced, and in addition considerable progress was made in the discussion of Estimates. The voluminous Town and ( Country Planning Bill was introduced, and gave promise of hours of highly important but unavoidably dull debate. Perhaps the brunt of this will be taken during the proceedings of the special, select committee allocated for the bill. The Speaker (Sir Roy Jack) continued his lonely ( battle against the übiquitous , supplementary question. It is worth noting that this week all oral questions put were duly answered. Earlier this session, the House found ( difficulty in dealing with 10 , oral questions in the half- |

hour allowed. In one halfhour this week it dealt with 22 questions, in two others IS and 18 respectively. Cynics could say that Sir Roy might well have achieved his object this week, had he spent less time in appealing to members to curtail their supplementaries. The notices of motion continue to pile up. There were 20 new ones this week, though two were disposed of by discussion on Wednesday. Some 36 notices of motion now clutter the Order Paper and soon now, with the decision to allow Government business to take precedence, the session’s discussion time for motions will end. Next week, the House will continue as before. The discussion of Estimates will be held on Tuesday and Thursday, and on Wednesday there will be the usual debates on previous questions and on questions and notices of motion. The present time of quietness and legislative progress will soon pass. Within a fortnight, Parliament will be debating some of the most contentious legislation to have reached it this session.