Terror Bill Urgent!

The Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bill is getting rushed through the NZ Parliament with the plan for it to be law before the House adjourns for summer.

The Bill was introduced in Parliament on Tuesday 24^th November, submissions due on Thursday 27 November, oral submissions will be heard on both the 27^th and 28^th November, the Bill is to be reported back by Tuesday, 2nd December – eight days after it was introduced and then it will be law by Thursday 11^th December.

The reason for such urgency and speed is that 'our' way of life and the values that shape 'our' society are under threat. Some people would argue that what passes for democracy is actually what is under threat with the passing of this Bill – for this Bill enhances state surveillance power and expands state control.

With the continuous singing of the mantra 'terror, terror, terror', we seem to live in an increasingly hysterical time where Bills such as this one can be introduced and passed. Just within the last few years there have been numerous surveillance and 'terror' Bills, including: in 2013 both the ‘GCSB and Related Legislation Amendment Bill' and the TICS (Telecommunications Interception Capability and Security) Bill, in 2012 the Search and Surveillance Act, in 2011 the 'SIS Amendment Bill', in 2007 the Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill. The list goes on. This country has a reputation for passing laws quickly.

We have also just had the introduction of the 'Strategic Risk and Resilience Panel' (SRRP). This group of 'Free Thinkers' role is to alert the government to 'unknown' terror possibilities. The group consists of corporate and state 'leaders'. Their role in this Bill has been kept quiet, but if they are the ones tasked with alerting the state to dangers, they must be involved in creating the urgency for this Bill.

The director of the Security Intelligence Service, Rebecca Kitteridge, says that we need this Bill to keep us safe. She said on National Radio on the morning of the 26th November, that we are in danger . The Bill is needed to stop the 'same events such as happened in Australia and Canada recently'. That is the truth; this Bill will increase hysteria and police raids of communities. We will have raids like that in Australia, raids which found plastic swords. This Bill increases criminilisation and the myth of terror.

These laws strengthen the power base of the state. We do live in a dangerous world. An extremely dangerous world.

A link to the Bill can be found here, submissions can also be made on this page.

An article about the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security' Report into the leaking of classified SIS documents (released on the same day as the Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bil was introduced into Parliament) can be found here.