It sounds a lot like a case of over enthusiasm to try out the new anti terrorism laws to me, probably in a lame attempt to justify the new anti terrorism legislation. If you can't find a legitimate target, Well,..... just lower your sights a bit. Unfortunately this has blown up in the faces of the authorities, someone needs to get their wrist slapped over this.

Personally, it seems pretty typical to me. At the risk of being thought a bleeding heart liberal, I would say that there is a concerted move to reduce the civil liberties of the public and increase the powers of the law enforcement agencies. Once in place these powers are never repealed.

On the whole indigenous people note, I think although Maoris and Aboriginies got hard done by European settlers big time but them using the whole "this is our land" stuff is just a political weapon. So then what do they want? That all white people return to Europe? Australia and New Zealand is now their native land too.
Their whole "please give us advantages for we are poor and in a bad position because of you white folks" just lowers them even further and in fact, mars the achievements of Aboriginies and Maoris who have risen the ranks through their own hard work and merit.
Like a guy I know well in law says, sometimes you have to be weary of minority lawyers because of affirmative action, lots of minorities who aren't good enough to carry the qualifications they have, have them because they were able to make it in through affirmative action. There are those who are simply brilliant, but because there are so many who got in the "politically correct" way, these people who worked hard suffer. And this guy is Chinese.
On this weapons raids and stuff... I think it's something that has gone very bad and the police, upon receiving a brand new toy got excited about it. They should have investigated this further... but I guess sometimes cops too watch too many cop shows.