Act Party
March 31, 2004
New Police Bill Exposes Government Disarray
Press Release by Dr Muriel Newman
The shambles with which the Police
Complaints Authority Amendment Bill was introduced into Parliament last night -
under Urgency - has exposed, what must be, a high level of disarray within
Labour, ACT New Zealand Police Spokesman Dr Muriel Newman said today.
"The Bill seeks to make an extraordinary constitutional change, and was
tabled in Parliament after Minister Margaret Wilson began her introductory
speech - giving other parties no time to take advice on the significant changes
being proposed," Dr Newman said.
"Only United Future - who supported the Government's move into Urgency and
the denying of Question Time - had been briefed on the Bill in a timely
fashion.
"It is extremely worrying that Labour is in such a shambles that it
couldn't manage to lodge this important Bill last week, to avoid it having to
be pushed through in the Urgency motion.
In fact, it is completely unacceptable that a Bill of this magnitude was
introduced in such a disgraceful manner in order to avoid proper public
scrutiny.
"The Bill gives the newly-established Commission of Inquiry into alleged
police misconduct the power to access confidential files held by the Police
Complaints Authority - despite the fact that people who have given evidence to
the PCA would have done so under a guarantee of complete confidentiality and
immunity from prosecution.
"To pass a law that retrospectively allows public access to those files
breaches those historical promises and assurances, and this Bill runs the risk
of fundamentally undermining confidence in the PCA - which certainly would not
be in the country's best interests.
"In light of the Government's desire that, on issues such as the police
inquiry, all political parties act cooperatively, it is disgraceful that Labour
has treated Parliament - and, indeed, its proposed law - in such an offhand
manner.
"ACT has supported the Bill to a Select Committee, so that we can properly
hear Labour's justification for such a law change - and the response from the
PCA, police, the legal profession and other interested parties - but we remain
sceptical as to whether a retrospective law change that breaks the solemn
promise of confidentiality, rushed through under Urgency, is worthy of
support", Dr Newman said.