Intelligence and Security Bill

I will take a brief call. The main change here, made at the select committee, which I support, was to increase the list of ministerial policy statements that are required to be prepared, which are now listed at clause 165 of the bill. They include things like having a ministerial policy statement when you acquire, use, or maintain an assumed identity, and when you conduct surveillance in a public place. There are various others that are listed there. It was one of the original recommendations of the Cullen-Reddy report, and the select committee thought that that should be reinserted into the bill, and has done so. With those comments, the Labour Party supports Part 7.

We come to the last of the Green Party’s amendments in Supplementary Order Paper 268, and it pertains to clause 207. We simply suggest that we delete clause 207. Our proposed amendment would ensure that someone with knowledge of serious breaches in the conduct of intelligence agencies provided the public with crucial information—in that event, they would not be subject to excessive punishment. I am not going to elaborate on that, I just put it forward for the consideration of the Committee.

Mr Chair—

The CHAIRPERSON (Hon Trevor Mallard): Does the member want a call?

Sorry, Mr Chair. I was being distracted there by my colleague Stuart Nash. He is terrible like that. Talking to Part 6—

💬 Tim Macindoe: We’re on Part 7.

Sorry, Mr Chair. I stuffed up then, did I not? Sorry about that.

All right, I think the bus has gone. The question was put that the amendments set out on Supplementary Order Paper 264 in the name of the Rt Hon Bill English to Part 7 be agreed to.

Amendments agreed to.

I raise a point of order, Mr Chairperson. I thought Kennedy Graham had not—

💬 Denis O’Rourke: That’s Part 8.

Oh, it is Part 8. Oh, OK.

It is Part 8. All right?

Part 7 as amended agreed to.

Part 8 Repeals and amendments

The question was put that the amendments set out on Supplementary Order Paper 264 in the name of the Rt Hon Bill English to Part 8 be agreed to.

Amendments agreed to.