In the New Zealand Herald May 16th, “A bill giving police sweeping powers to potentially enter homes without warrants while enforcing Covid-19 alert level rules has passed. The Covid-19 Public Health Response Bill was rushed through Parliament in time for alert level 2 but came under intense scrutiny from the Opposition. It passed 63 votes in favour with 57 against. The National Party and Act didn’t support the bill, saying it was an overreach of powers, distrusted New Zealanders and didn’t allow for orders to have proper scrutiny. But the Government said it was necessary to ensure the continued fight against Covid-19 and created more accountability, not less.
The Human Rights Commission said it was “deeply concerned” about the lack of scrutiny of the bill and its rushed process “is a great failure of our democratic process” The law sets up the legal framework for future alert levels as there is no longer a State of Emergency. It effectively allows the Health Minister to issue an order that would make alert level rules legally enforceable.
That might include, for example, the ability for police or “enforcement officers” to close certain premises or roads, ban certain types of travel or congregations, or require people to be physically distant or to stay at home in their bubbles if necessary. It also would allow warrantless searches of private property if there was a reasonable belief that the alert level rules were being broken.”
New Zealand enforced a strict lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic and is only now beginning to lift it. According to the government, a total of 23 people have died of Covid-19 related illnesses. The country has remained relatively unscathed and the public have been very compliant in following the lockdown rules. Yet, in step with many other countries, the government is rushing through new laws with increasing powers to encroach upon the privacy of people’s lives. Why is there a need to introduce these laws even as the crisis lessens? This must surely cause concern for anyone who values human rights and civil liberties.