15 August 2005
Police Commissioner's Comments Validate New Zealand First Stance
New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters has welcomed the Police Commissioner Rob Robinson’s validation that
there are a number of people currently living in New Zealand with sympathies for overseas terrorist organisations.
Mr Peters was responsing to Mr Robinson’s confirmation at a conference on counter-terrorism in Wellington today, that
these people had been warned by Police, but he would not reveal how many people were involved or whether they were New
Zealand citizens.
“Why is it that the only people qualified to speak with authority on this subject, Dr Rohan Gunaratna, a world-renowned
al-Qaeda expert, and now the Police Commissioner, support our position, while others such as the Prime Minister, choose
to put their head in the sand on this issue.
“On top of this we have terrorist sympathiser, Abdur Raheem Green, recently denied entry to Austrlia, flitting round the
country spreading his extreme Islamic views.
“We must learn from our overseas counterparts, including Australia, who take the threat of terrorism extremely
seriously. They take a hard line on immigration and any person wishing to live in Australia is required to demonstrate
commitment and respect for their host country’s customs and values.
“While ill informed journalists and other political parties may wish to label New Zealand First as racist or intolerant,
we believe someone needs to have the courage to take New Zealand’s national security seriously,” concluded Mr Peters.
ENDS