10 May 2002

 

Alert! Terrorism suppression legislation

 

It is expected that the Terrorism (Bombings and Financing) (Suppression) Bill will have its second reading in parliament some time in the next few weeks. Now would be a good time to contact your local MP, the mass media, and write to Cabinet expressing your disapproval of this extraordinarily unnecessary and repressive legislation. Contact details are at the end of this message.

 

If you require more information about the Bill, check out http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/terrosub.htm

 

The index page there has articles and alerts; and copies of, or links to, the written submissions sent to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee opposing the Bill by the Northland Urban Rural Mission, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (Aotearoa), Jane Kelsey, GATT Watchdog, Peter Wills, Socialist Party of Aotearoa, Socialist Workers Organization, Latin America Committee, Indonesia Human Rights Committee, Peace Council, Anti Bases Campaign, Arena, the Churches Agency on Social Issues and the Human Rights Commission.

 

‘Update! Terrorism Suppression Bill’ which is available on-line at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/cra0258.htm includes the Green Party minority report, which the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee would not allow to be included in their report to parliament on the legislation.

 

As our computers will be off-line for repairs over the next three weeks, we will not be able to send you additional information by email during this time. There will however, be new updates on the Arena website as the Bill comes up for its second reading, you will be able to access these at http://www.arena.org.nz

 

 

*** Contact details

 

* All politicians - it is useful if you contact your MP’s local electorate office as well as their parliamentary office to register your disapproval of the Terrorism (Bombings and Financing) (Suppression) Bill; local office details are in your area phone book, parliamentary offices can be reached via the Parliamentary switchboard at (04) 471 9999. You should also contact any list MPs who live in your area.

 

* Specific politicians - phone calls and faxes (all to be prefixed by 04 by those of you out of Wellington)

* Helen Clark, Prime Minister, office - tel 471 9998, fax 473 3579;

* Jim Anderton, Deputy Prime Minister, office - tel 04 471 9011, fax 04 495 8441;

* Phil Goff, Minister of Justice, office - tel 471 9370, fax 495 8444.

* Cabinet (collectively), office - tel 04 471 9743, fax 04 472 6332.

 

Letters should be addressed to the relevant person and posted (no stamp needed) to Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

 

Additionally, it would be useful if you could send copies of your letter/s to Keith Locke, Green Party Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs, tel 470 6709, fax 472 6003; and a copy of your correspondence and of any replies to PMA for our files.

 

* Media contact details

Christchurch Press, fax (03) 364 8492, editorial@press.co.nz;

Dominion, fax (04) 4740257, domnews@dominion.co.nz;

Evening Post, fax; (04) 474 0237, editor@evpost.co.nz;

New Zealand Herald, fax (09) 373 6434, letters@herald.co.nz;

Sunday Star Times, fax (09) 309 0258;

Press Association, fax (04) 473 7480;

Listener, fax (09) 360 3831, editor@listener.co.nz;

Radio New Zealand News, fax (04) 473 0185, news@radionz.co.nz

 

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       Peace Movement Aotearoa

                the national networking peace group

    PO Box 9314, Wellington, Aotearoa / New Zealand.

    tel +64 4 382 8129, fax 382 8173, pma@xtra.co.nz

        website http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/

   Internet Peace Gateway http://www.peace.org.nz