Phone-tap plan ‘crucial’ to ‘death of freedom’

Press, 1 September 1977, Page 2

Phone-tap plan ‘crucial’ to ‘death of freedom’

PA Blenheim The Government’s proposed new security intelligence legislation was another major step towards the death of individual freedoms in New Zealand, said the Opposition member of Parliament for; New Lynn (Mr J. L. Hunt)' last evening. Mr Hunt told a Labour Party meeting in Blenheim that the legislation, based on recommendations contained in a report into the Security Intelligence Sendee by the former Chief Ombudsman, Sir Guy Powles. would legalise activities which involved a major intrusion into personal rights. Sir Guy said in his report J which was initiated by the; former Labour Government.! that the 1969 S.I.S. act’ should be amended to in-! elude a procedure under which the service could tap; ’elephones and intercept mail, legally. He recommended that the! Minister in charge of the service (at present Mr Muldoon) should be empowered to ■ issue warrants to intercept communications subject to strict legislative criteria. The legislation is expected to be introduced in Parliament next week. Mr Hunt said that powers to intercept communications

should not be granted to a politician. "The S.I.S. often works in a highly political area where the decision to interfere with individual privacy is a political decision,” he said. “I am strongly of the view that this power should rest only with the courts with their proven record of impartiality and integrity. "If this is given to a politician it is a powerful weapon that can be used for personal political ends and not for the protection of the country.” Mr Hunt was also strongly critical of the Prime Minister’s intention not to have the S.I.S. legislation referred to a Parliamentary select committee. “I regard the Prime Minister’s statement that ‘he had no wish to provide a sounding board for minority fringe groups to voice their opinions,* as a blatant insult to responsible professional and community groups in this country’,” he said. Mr Hunt went on to describe the proposed legislation as "crucial” and said it was obvious that groups such as the Law Society, the Police Association, and the Council for Civil Liberties would wish to make submissions. It was vital in the interests of the protection of public freedom that they be allowed

ito do so. i “This is a further example of the way in which executive power is being used in this country to trample the long-established traditions of free speech and democratic consultation,” Mr Hunt said