Exemption for spy base?

Press, 11 October 1988, Page 4

Exemption for spy base?

Blenheim reporter

The Anti Bases Campaign believes that the Government is trying to bring about changes in radio privacy legislation to exempt the satellite communications intercept base in the Waihopai Valley. A spokesman for the campaign, Mr Fergus Wheeler, said from Wellington yesterday that the use of regulatory powers by the Government to exempt itself from the law was reminiscent of

the worst abuses of the Muldoon Government. “The Anti Bases Campaign has delivered a last-minute submission to Parliament on the proposed amendments to the Telecommunications Act 1987 to block the legislation of the spy base,” Mr Wheeler said.

The campaign has been challenging the legality of the base under the Telecommunications Act and has prompted an investigation by the Auditor General.

The proposed amendment provides for the exemption of certain radio apparatus from licensing requirements. The campaign believes that if the amendment is passed spying on civilian communications would be legalised and Waihopai would be exempted from the law.

“Under the present law spying on people’s communications and passing information on to foreign powers is illegal. This should remain so,”

Mr Wheeler said.

The proposed amendments looked innocent as they were supposedly designed to reduce administration problems by removing the requirement for electronic garagedoor openers and such things as radio controlled toys to be licensed. Mr Wheeler said the desirability of this measure was accepted and understood but there were other ways of meeting the need.