Police have duty to protect public - PM

Prime Minister Helen Clark says police have a duty to investigate where they believe that public safety is imperilled.

Her comments follow the Solicitor General throwing out charges under the terrorism act against people arrested in a series of police raids against so-called para-military training camps.

But Miss Clark did not directly answer today when asked if she retained confidence in Police Commissioner Howard Broad.

She said New Zealand's terrorism laws set a high test to meet and that high test had not been met.

"Police have now focused on the charges they intend to bring under the arms act."

The Government has asked the Law Commission to review the terrorism laws after Solicitor-General David Collins said the police raids had uncovered some "very disturbing activities", but the laws were so complex, they were virtually impossible to apply to domestic cases.

- © Fairfax NZ News