Sedition Amendment Proposed for Countering Terrorism

New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters put forward an amendment to the Countering Terrorism Fighters Bill in Parliament today, seeking to re-enact sedition laws repealed in 2007 with the support of all parties except New Zealand First.

“In 2007, we asked Parliament if we as a country would feel safer having repealed sedition laws? Judging by the Countering Terrorism Fighters Bill and ‘tough’ new security laws Mr Key so clearly wants, the answer is a flat no,” Mr Peters said.

“What home-grown terrorists wish to engage in was defined by the then sedition laws.

“Yet National, Labour, the Greens and others, all voted to remove the very law that we need right now.

“This country has become so terribly naive when it comes to security and protecting its citizens.

“All sorts of weak-kneed decisions have led this country towards bad border controls, so bad, that even paedophilic murderers can skip this country after ‘legitimately’ securing a passport according to the Minister of Corrections.

“Messrs Key and Finlayson voted to abolish sedition back in 2007 but have now done a 180-degree turn. Surely, they must now realise the folly of their actions in 2007.

“In 2007, New Zealand First warned the House that concerns over terrorism were far worse than ever. Given events since, this is one of those classic ‘told you so’ moments.

“Frankly, Parliament was misled back in 2007 because they claimed sedition could be more appropriately dealt with by the criminal law. That was false as the debate on emergency legislation clearly proves.

“Parliament got it wrong in 2007, but will it get it right in 2014?” Mr Peters said.

ENDS

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