The Labour Party will give initial support for new anti-terror legislation, even though it considers it rushed and has reservations about some of the specifics.
Prime Minister John Key wants to get the changes, which are aimed at protecting New Zealand from people going overseas to join Islamist terrorist groups , through before the end of the year.
David Shearer said Labour had reservations but would give the legislation initial support. Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
The bill would extend the period for which the Minister of Internal Affairs can cancel a passport to up to three years from the existing law's 12 months.
It would also allow the Security Intelligence Service to carry out greater surveillance than it does now, including in special cases without a warrant for up to 48 hours.
Labour's foreign affairs spokesperson, David Shearer told Morning Report 48 hours' surveillance was far too long to conduct surveillance without the right sort of warrant.
The party also had reservations about the cancellation of passports for people who may be offshore.
"What we don't want to have is people floating around stateless, effectively, who have come from New Zealand and have New Zealand citizenship."
However Mr Shearer said Labour would support the legislation for the time being, although it would ask for submissions from groups including the Law Society and the Human Rights Commission.
Russel Norman said the bill could leave some New Zealanders stateless. Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said the legislation involved some serious restrictions on New Zealanders' basic rights.
"It means that the Prime Minister's spy agency, the SIS, can break into our houses without a warrant, put in covert video surveillance and then keep that evidence regardless of whether they ever get the warrant or they ever take anything to court.
"On top of that New Zealanders can have their passports taken off them when they are overseas, so they could find themselves stateless."
Dr Norman said the bill represented a serious extension of state powers, and there was no documentation showing why it was necessary.
He said it was part of the ongoing project by the National-led Government to increase state surveillance and state powers.
"The National Party has a long record of incrementally and quite seriously eroding our basic rights and freedoms," he said.
Labour Party leader Andrew Little said Labour had not yet been shown any evidence for the changes.
"These are things that we need to be very careful and very cautious about and the Government needs to make the case for it.
"I can't think of a set of circumstances in which security officials observing people on a watchlist would need to have warrantless video surveillance or would not have the means to get a warrant and conduct their surveillance.
"Let the Government describe or explain the circumstances that justify it and let's have a consideration of that before we pass this legislation."
United Future leader Peter Dunne was on a plane back from overseas on Sunday night, but his office said in a statement that at this stage he would only give his support to the legislation for the first reading, as he was also concerned about the warrantless surveillance.
Mr Dunne was reserving the rest of his support until the select committee hearings were over.
