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Supplementary Order Paper No 313

No 313

House of Representatives

Supplementary Order Paper

Tuesday, 6 August 2013

Government Communications Security Bureau and Related Legislation Amendment Bill

Proposed amendments

Dr Russel Norman, in Committee, to move the following amendments:

Clause 38

Replace clause 38, (line 23 on page 31 to line 2 on page 32) with:

38 Section 6 amended (Functions of Committee)

  • (1) In section 6(1)(a) delete, “subject to subsection (2),”.

    (2) In section 6(1)(b) delete, “subject to subsection (2),”.

    (3) Replace section 6(1)(e) with:

    • “(e) subject to section 18,––

      • “(i) to present an annual report to the House of Representatives on the activities of the Committee; and

      • “(ii) to make an annual report publicly available on the Internet site of the New Zealand Government:

    • “(f) to consider and discuss with the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security his or her annual report as presented to the House of Representatives under section 27(3) of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Act 1996.”

    (4) Delete section 6(2).

Explanatory note

This Supplementary Order Paper amends the Government Communications Security Bureau and Related Legislation Amendment Bill. There are no corresponding restrictions on the powers of Parliamentary select committees to inquire into matters within their subject matters. It is anomalous, given the importance of oversight of intelligence and security agencies, that the Intelligence and Security Committee has fewer powers of inquiry into the matters for which it is responsible than an ordinary Parliamentary select committee. This amendment removes the list of restricted functions on the Intelligence and Security Committee.