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By MAGGIE TAIT~NZPA
On the second anniversary of controversial police raids, political activists today told MPs a new bill allowing police greater powers to search and monitor could stifle freedom of speech.
Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff also raised concerns and recommended a raft of beefed-up safeguards to better protect people.
Parliament’s justice and electoral select committee is considering the Search and Surveillance Bill which is based on a 2007 Law Commission report and also brings together police powers which are scattered through numerous statutes.
It gives police and other law enforcement agencies increased powers such as the ability to compel people to answer questions, clone computer information and makes changes to searches and surveillance.
Several activists, arrested by police in the past, referred to the October 15, 2007 controversial police “anti-terror raids” at Ruatoki in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and Whakatane, Palmerston North, Auckland and Wellington when appearing before the committee today.
