Aucklanders To Take To The Streets To Oppose The Search And Surveillance Bill

Saturday April 24th is a national day of action against the Search and Surveillance Bill, currently before Parliament. In Auckland there will be a protest march starting at 2pm, opposite the Town Hall on Queen Street.

“The Search and Surveillance Bill overturns many important liberties that have long been considered an essential part of a free and democratic society” says Cameron Walker, one of the organisers of the Auckland protest march and the founder of the 'Stop the Search and Surveillance Bill Now' Facebook Group. The Human Rights Commission, trade unions and a number of lawyers have raised concerns about the Bill.

The Bill:

• Grants the same powers the Police enjoy to 70 other state agencies including Work and Income New Zealand (WINZ) and the Pork Board.

• Effectively abolishes the right to silence by allowing Police and other state agencies to apply for ‘examination and production orders’ which force people to report for compulsory questioning and to surrender documents. The Human Rights Commission has raised concerns that these provisions could be used by police to harass trade unionists and political activists falsely accused of minor charges, such as trespass.

• Allows for state agencies to apply for a warrant for ongoing video surveillance of private property requiring only the same criteria needed for a one off search. In other Western countries, such as Canada, the USA and much of Western Europe, ongoing video surveillance of private property is considered a very serious breach of privacy, so Police must demonstrate to the courts that every other possible way of gaining the evidence has failed. No such restriction is included in this Bill.

• Allows for warrantless searches of the homes of anybody detained by the Police.

• Allows the Police and other state agencies to take anything in ‘plain view’ during a raid, without having to specify it on a search warrant.

• Creates a provision called ‘residual warrants’. Residual warrants allow state agencies to use any new surveillance technology created, even if laws creating guidelines relating to its use have not been passed by Parliament.

“These rights should not even be granted to the Police, let alone 70 other state agencies” continued Mr Walker. “We must stand up to defend our freedoms”.

The Auckland march will be addressed by Green MP David Clendon, Barry Wilson from the Auckland Council for Civil Liberties and Eden-Albert Community Board member, Rochelle Rees.

Marches will also take place in Wellington and Christchurch.

ENDS

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