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Streakers could face threat of prison
NZPA | Friday, 6 April 2007
Streakers and other pitch invaders could be jailed for three months under a proposed law which has been put into a bill being considered by Parliament.
A new offence is being created which also applies to anyone who throws something on to a pitch.
The alternative penalty is a maximum fine of $5000.
Cabinet Minister Trevor Mallard has put the new section into the Major Events Bill, which is being handled by the commerce select committee.
The bill has been drafted mainly for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, and it will stop "ambush marketing", which happens when companies that are not sponsors use events to distribute their products or hand out advertising pamphlets.
Mr Mallard is the minister in charge of the World Cup, and he told NZPA the new section was needed because existing penalties for pitch invasion were not high enough to act as a deterrent.
Pitch invaders are at present dealt with under the provisions of the Summary Offences Act which cover disorderly behaviour.
Mr Mallard said although that Act contained maximum penalties of three months imprisonment or a $2000 fine, sentences on conviction were usually fines of about $250.
"It was decided it was not appropriate to amend the Summary Offences Act as that might have had unintended consequences, so the decision was taken to create a new offence."
The public will have their say on the bill, and the new section Mr Mallard has put into it, when the select committee calls for submissions.
MPs had to vote before the new section could be put into the bill, and two parties disagreed with it.
Green MP Keith Locke said the anti-invasion measure was ridiculous.
"There's violence and poverty in the world and we're wasting our time in Parliament worrying about streakers," he said.
"This is being done on the dictate of the multi-nationals and it's going to stop New Zealanders having fun."
Maori Party MP Hone Harawira said he was an anti-apartheid protester during the 1981 Springbok tour and had invaded pitches.
"How quickly we can deny our history if 25 years later we can pass legislation to make such actions illegal," he said.
"I warn the House yesterday that if we don't have the courage to start opposing these insidious little pieces of creeping fascism we will one day soon find our own children charged with treason for daring to oppose a game of football."
National MP Chris Tremain said some companies were paying people to invade pitches at big games wearing T-shirts printed with their product logo.
"A $5000 fine is nothing to them, it's not high enough," he said.
Parliament voted 109-9 to put the new section into the bill.
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