In introducing this supplement, we must warn you that if you are not into hard line editorials or that you think the SIS Amendment Bill is a terrific thing then don't read on.

Salient feels that, when judging the contents of this evil smelling occurence, that we have to look at the other Bills of the past two or three years. This is because the present Bill is the "icing on the cake" for the others—it is a necessary rejoinder to enforce the other restrictive measures.

If you've got state interventionist legislation like the Commerce Bill, the Industrial Relations Bill, the Hospitals Bill, the Energy Act and the (proposed) Judicature Act (makes it legal for any citizen to issue an injunction against any decision made by any organisation if it can be proved that that decision affects them detrimentally—think about that) obviously you have got to have (if you are in the ruling class) a service to keep up with enforcing them. It is understandable in this context that with this increase in repressive legislation, the service has to be built up. It came as no surprise, then, at Budget time that while Departmental expenditure was pruned, that the SIS recieved a 23% increase in its spending.

Not being satisfied with giving the SIS a financial shot in the arm to increase their powers of infiltration and surveillance, the right-wing elements in the National Party have decided to give the SIS extensive and almost limitless powers. If the Bill is passed, the SIS will rank along Internal Security forces such as Boss (South Africa), the KGB (US'S'R) and DINA (Chile) because these are among the few internal security forces that have the power of complete concealment. Even the CIA (USA) and ASIO (Australia) do not have such legal cover to work under. As multiple scandles have shown in the States recently, these democratic rights of citizens to investigate agents and activities have led to the uncovering of wide scale corruption and conspiracy.