Government boosts funds against terrorism

By VERNON SMALL

The Government will spend $11.7 million more next year to combat terrorism in response to the September 11 attacks, including a big funding boost for its three spy agencies.

Extra police at airports, better tracking of cargo, and screening of international passengers before they embark will be part of stepped-up security measures.

The External Assessments Bureau, the Government Communications Security Bureau and the Security Intelligence Service will between them receive an extra $1.38 million this year, $4.88 million next year and $5.46 million in 2003/04.

No break-down was provided between the agencies, but the extra cash in 2003/4 represents a 15 per cent increase on the $36 million set aside for them in last year's Budget.

Prime Minister Helen Clark would not comment on details of the spending on intelligence. But she said the agencies' increased duties since the September 11 terrorist attacks needed extra money.

She said the extra spending was a realistic response.

"Probably the most important line of defence for any country in this kind of international environment is its ability to collect, analyse, evaluate and act upon intelligence."

While New Zealand was geographically remote and an unlikely target, the possibility of terrorist attacks could never be ruled out.

This country needed to be alert to possible links between terrorist networks and people living here, and did not want to be known as a "soft touch" for terrorists.

Since September 11, existing money had been redirected to meet the Government's international obligations to combat terrorism. This could not be maintained so extra finance was necessary.

Over three years the package announced yesterday will cost an extra $30 million.

From that the Police will get $3.55 million, Customs $6 million, Defence $370,000, Immigration $4.1 million and Parliamentary Services $1.1 million.

After 2003/2004 operating spending would continue to run $14 million higher than now.

Capital expenditure of $2.89 million would buy equipment for the intelligence agencies, Civil Defence and the Defence Force.

The Government would fund 26 police at the six major airports - Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Queenstown and Rotorua - and a dedicated police terrorism investigation and intelligence group.

Police liaison posts would be set up in Washington and London to enhance intelligence gathering and help coordinate action against terrorism.

A unit within the Defence Force would link with the existing bomb disposal squads to improve the response to potential chemical or biological terrorism.

Defence Minister Mark Burton said $1.84 million had been added to the defence budget to buy chemical and biological detection equipment and $185,000 a year would be spent operating the unit.

Acting Customs Minister Jim Anderton said the extra $3 million a year for the Customs Service would help it track and identify travellers and cargo that might be linked to terrorist networks.

New laws would ensure Customs was provided electronically with information about exports and transit cargo, and allow information sharing with overseas law enforcement agencies.

Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel said an "advance passenger processing system", already used in Australia, would help screen travellers and stop those who posed a risk from getting on a plane.

It would also keep a record of the documentation used by passengers who subsequently destroyed their travel documents while on route.

Once the system was in place, likely to be in the next 18 months, the Government would consider fining airlines who failed to stop irregular migrants travelling here.

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