Anti-terrorism law passed

Associate Justice Minister Rick Barker. File picture / Hawke's Bay Today

A bill making it illegal to give money to terrorist organisations was passed today.

Sitting under urgency, Parliament passed the law change by 97 to 10 votes with only the Greens and Maori Party opposing it.

Associate Justice Minister Rick Barker told Parliament the bill, called the Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill (No 2), showed New Zealand's support for international efforts to combat terrorism.

Apart from creating the new offence, the legislation also extended the period groups or people were designated terrorist entities under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002 -- to ensure they do not expire.

"This would have placed New Zealand in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions," Mr Barker said.

The changes also bring New Zealand law into line with international requirements against terrorist funding.

"While financing of terrorist acts is already illegal, not to pass this bill would mean we have no legal sanction against those who support organisations related to al Qaeda and the Taleban," Mr Barker said during the debate.

He emphasised that donations to genuine human rights or humanitarian groups would be unaffected.

Green MP Keith Locke said the bill was shameful and a review of the Terrorism Suppression Act should have been completed first. He said that law was part of a rush of legislation after the September 11 attacks which did not take account of human rights.

He said under the Act politicians decided who were terrorists without the same standard of proof being required as in a court.

Mr Locke said one country's terrorist was another's freedom fighter and even normal protest groups had been labelled terrorists.

"Thousands of New Zealanders could have been convicted under this provision, if it had been in place at the time they were digging deep giving to tsunami relief in Sri Lanka (where the Tamil Tigers operated)," Mr Locke said.

The original Act had provided some protection for people who unwittingly donated to terrorist organisations but this was removed by the amendment, he said.

Yesterday Human Rights Commissioner Rosslyn Noonan told the committee reviewing the Act that New Zealand should urge the United Nations to "smarten up its act" over how people and groups are removed from lists saying they are terrorists.

Mr Barker said none of the amendments adversely affected the balance achieved in the Terrorism Suppression Act between civil liberties and the need to deter terrorism.

He acknowledged designation procedures needed to be looked at and said the Foreign Affairs committee doing the review would report back before the end of the year.

"The nature of terrorism and the methods used by terrorists are ever-changing and the review is therefore both timely and welcome," he said.

- NZPA