Government Minister demands apology from police boss over Tuhoe raids

This afternoon, at a forum I attended at Massey University's Wellington Campus, Labour Minister Mahara Okeroa called for a public apology from Police Commissioner Howard Broad over the Tuhoe raids last year. He demanded - yes that was the word used - a public apology from the Commissioner, saying the police raids were totally unacceptable and the Terrorism Suppression Act was incorrectly applied.

National's Georgina te Heuheu was also at the forum and she agreed the Act was applied incorrectly. She said it was the Governments role to ensure that laws were applied correctly, and in this case it wasn't. Green MP Metiria Turei said that the Act was oppressive and was not surprised it had been used to oppress Maori.

Okeroa supported Solicitor General David Collin's decision not to prosecute those arrested under the Act.