Review of sleuths on hold despite industry's 'tentacles' in bureaucracy

Revelations that private investigators have been hired to tail the Prime Minister are unlikely to accelerate a planned review of the laws governing their activities.

A review of the Private Investigators and Security Guards Act started in 2001. Drafting instructions for a bill to replace the 1974 legislation have been completed but work on the new bill was deferred in 2004 and has not been restarted.

Associate Justice Minister Clayton Cosgrove said the bill remained on the Government's work programme. "Targeted consultation" was due to begin either late this year or early next year, and he hoped a bill would be ready for introduction next year.

"We've already announced some revamp work in respect to private investigators," Mr Cosgrove said.

"I think that in the targeted consultation that will be an issue that is looked at, but there's no sort of rush to accelerate this because some individuals from the Exclusive Brethren have hired private investigators to go and snoop on various people."

Other work, such as preparing for the recruiting of 1000 extra sworn police, had pushed the review of the act down the priority list.

New Zealand First MP Ron Mark, who this year revealed that two unlicensed security guards with criminal convictions had worked at Wellington's central police station, said that incident - and the confirmation that private investigators had tailed the Prime Minister, Helen Clark, and her husband - should prompt immediate action by the Government.

"If these two incidents aren't significant to the Government, don't suggest to the Government that someone had better get their backsides into gear and review this legislation ... what will?

"It seems there is no commitment to do anything other than wait and it seems that the Government has believed for some time now that the problems that exist in the security industry aren't really big enough to worry about."

Security firms were hired by Government departments for a range of jobs, including document destruction, courier work, carrying money, and to supervise and transport prison inmates, Mr Mark said.

"The security industry's tentacles have gone wide and deep into departmental services. That should motivate them to know what the hell is going on in the industry."