Parliamentary drugs inquiry ‘would do harm’

Press, 15 June 1979, Page 3

Parliamentary drugs inquiry ‘would do harm’

PA Wellingtoi A Parliamentary seleci committee on drug traffick ing would be a disaste: according to the secretary o the Police Association (Dr R A. Moodie). In Parliament on Wednes day evening the Opposition spent an hour unsuccessfully trying to get such a committee set up.

Yesterday Dr Moodie said he could not see what good a Parliamentary select committee could do; it would do a lot of harm. “A Parliamentary select committee would be a disaster,” he said. “It would destroy for all time the ability of the police to assure persons who give information that their names would be kept confidential.”

Speaking about the Ameri.lll systems of grand juries nd Senate hearings. Dr '.oodie said these were great for politicians but not very good for society at arge.

•‘lt has never done American society any good," he said.

Talking about last week's Parliamentary revelations of the "Eye-Witness” script, Dr Moodie said it would have been better if anyone who had information had passed it on to the police and let them get on with the job. “It does not help to have a sensitive operation such as tracking down drug traffickers bandied round in the press. I think it has done more harm titan good," he said.