The Government is coming under increasing pressure to make changes to its controversial anti-terrorism legislation.
Prime Minister John Key Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski
After a rushed consultation, the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee finished hearing submissions on the Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bill yesterday.
More than 600 submissions were made on the Bill - the majority of them critical - and most other political parties wanted it to be amended.
There was particularly strong opposition to plans that would allow the SIS to conduct video surveillance without a warrant for up to 48 hours, and to extend the power of the Government to cancel someone's passport for up to three years.
New Zealand First MP Fletcher Tabuteau warned new anti-terrorism legislation gave too much power to the SIS to intrude on people's private lives.
Mr Tabuteau was a member of the select committee which had been hearing submissions on the Bill.
He said there were no real safeguards on the SIS abusing its power in the Bill to conduct video surveillance without a warrant.
"If they decide that the detection of the activities was prejudicial to security or to the gathering of foreign intelligence information that is essential to security.
"So actually, and this is one of my huge concerns - they do get to keep information gathered without a warrant issued at any time."
Security expert Dr Rhys Ball from Massey University said there was a need for the surveillance actions and they could be renewed past their current sunset clause of 2018.
"I wouldn't be surpassed if they weren't continued, there is a genuine and real need for these sorts of activities to be in place and to be supported and backed up by robust legislation."
The committee was expected to consider its response tomorrow before reporting back to Parliament on Tuesday.
The Government said it wanted the bill passed before the House rises for Christmas on 11 December.
Watch: Prime Minister John Key discusses New Zealand's terror threat level (13 October 2014)
