This video is courtesy of SlipStream.
Tens of thousands more went online to The Daily Blog to watch and debate the issue. Here is video of the event.
IF YOU DID NOT MAKE IT to the Auckland Town Hall on Monday night you can watch the entire debate here on The Daily Blog.
The Coalition to Stop the GCSB Bill organised this public meeting at the Auckland Town Hall with a powerful line-up of speakers – each explains why this GCSB Bill is bad for our country.
The speakers were:
- Dr Rodney Harrison QC (lawyer)
- Kim Dotcom (the most high profile victim of illegal GCSB spying)
- Jon Stephenson (journalist and war correspondent)
- Seeby Woodhouse (Founder of Orcon ISP and 2004 NZ Young Entrepreneur of the Year)
- Helen Kelly (CTU President)
- Professor Jane Kelsey (Law Faculty Auckland University)
- Marama Davidson (Maori activist and blogger)
- David Shearer (Labour Party Leader)
- Russel Norman (Green Party Leader)
- Winston Peters (NZ First leader)
- Hone Harawira (Mana Party Leader)
- Nicky Hagar (investigative journalist).
Prime Minister John Key intends to rush these new spying powers through Parliament this week, relying on MP Peter Dunne and ACT’s John Banks to vote for it. This would give the National Party, ACT, and United Future MPS a one-vote majority.
Labour and New Zealand First say the legislation does not provide New Zealanders with important assurances that they will not needlessly be spied on.
The Green Party wants a complete overhaul and reform of our spy agencies to make sure they operate in the interests of New Zealanders, as does the Mana Party which wants the GCSB shut down.
All parties say New Zealanders have not been given enough opportunity to debate these changes and have been shut out of the debate.
Unless one National Party MP votes against this Bill our country’s GCSB spies will be able to extend their powers to spying on New Zealanders, permanent residents, tourists, businesses, NGOs, even intercept discussions between lawyers and clients.
It is expected that all our communication, private or otherwise, will be uploaded to the United States via PRISM, Xkeyscore or other platforms we have yet to find out about.
All this will be made possible due to National MPS toeing the party line, and John Banks and Peter Dunne giving National their vote.
And what do we see this morning on TVNZ’s Breakfast programme? Practically no coverage, with the exception of an “interview” with National government cheerleader Deputy Political Editor Jessica Mutch claiming the bill is essential because at the moment there is no legislation whatsoever so it was by necessity that it is being rushed through, and that the opposition of the bill is in fact entirely politically driven (apparently missing Campbell Live last night that gave the results of a NON-POLITICAL online poll of over 52,000 votes showing an astounding 89% being against this bill…) Useful tool Rawden Christie of course was in total agreement. And that was that.
There is something very, very, very, seriously wrong within TVNZ news services.
The writing was on the wall almost two decades ago when the first serious pushes toward dismantling public service TV first started to gain traction. The outcome of the loss of quality news service and analysis, as predicted my many, has undoubtedly come to pass.
RNZ will certainly be next, unless we are vigilant.
We live in interesting times, given the emergent rise of the Total Surveillance State .
Indeed Richard, we do live in interesting times. I would add we live in strange and unsettling times. Not only are we on the brink of becoming a formalised surveillance state, we will have to adapt to the the consequences of the TPPA on our environment and nation. We have to adapt to an unstoppable changing climate and it seems like theres no turning back.
With such a fantastic list of speakers, why is it that both Stuff and the Herald choose to put a photo of Dotcom on their articles? Dotcom is the distraction here, not your Ace in the hole.
If you ever needed an evil guy, would you make him physically awkward, give him a German accent, give him a crim haircut and dress him in black? The only thing missing is a facial scar.
Choosing a convicted criminal as your poster boy was strategically unsound. Instead of backing out, you’ve given Key no option. Losing, is now completely impossible. Do you understand?
The only thing missing is a facial scar, the eye patch, missing teeth, peg leg and parrot on his shoulder.
Marty – Nelson Mandela was also a “convicted criminal”…
Breakdown by speakers:
Kim Dotcom at 9:37
Jon Stephenson at 20:00
Seeby Woodhouse at 28:47
Helen Kelly at 37:00
Professor Jane Kelsey at 44:44
Marama Davidson at 53:10
David Shearer at 1:12:34
Russel Norman at 1:21:05
Winston Peters at 1:27:40
Hone Harawira at 1:36:08
Nicky Hagar at 1:44:17
I was proud to be there, and very impressed by all the speakers. Everyone brought a different perspective, though the core message was clear.
Here is a link to a transcription of Russel Norman’s speech
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ReBwN29S-GNydNw3qZBCgm4Cnb2CzzAIzkBVMJw7I-0/edit?usp=sharing
I was so PROUD watching this live on my phone, it was passionate and honest, like the real N.Z a force of nature.
Thanks for putting this up – was unable to go, or watch stream last night. Much – appreciated.
Yesterday we created a pastebin of media resources for the event & sent it to international media & citizen journalists.
It had over 1000 readers in an hour.
This is an issue that effects the entire 1st world & much of the 3rd. New Zealand has the opportunity to again lead the world in human rights.
We must not allow our politicians to act against our interests, or our instruction.
Amazing job to all involved last night. The whole world was watching.
Wonderful meeting. Great speeches, brave speakers! We will win this!
PS, due to poor eyesight I hit the 4 star button instead of the 5! That should be a full 5-star rating. Tried to erase it but couldn’t Sort of like the GCSB bill, yes???
A massive Thank You once again to the the organisers of this event. It is so important that everyone who couldn’t be there could view the livestream. Every speaker had something interesting, disturbing and unique to offer. Much respect to each and every one.
One of the many things that jumped out at me was something that Prof Jane Kelsey said in relation to Te Urewera raids: “None of you know how broad that sweep was” That was a chilling statement . Is there any way we can have more information about this powerful sentence and the evidence that Prof Jane Kelsey had seen at the time?
Thanks for putting this up – was unable to go, or watch stream last night. Much – appreciated.
Geez, who is the dick(s) that routinely goes through every single comments section on TDB and down votes everyone no matter what they say, no matter what the topic and no matter how positive it is?
In this case, someone is pro the GCSB and TCIS bills. Must be one of the 11% eh?
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Sorry but…. I didn’t/couldn’t BEAR to watch or listen. It’s because, the GSB Bill is unstoppable. It’s too damn late.
Sorry but it’s the Truth.
What New Zealanders (who are too naive and too laid back anyway..) aren’t aware of, is The Game has Changed. As long as citizens (the ones who actually are aware, and there are far too few)are still believing NZ is a “democracy” and that “voting for someone else next elections” is going to make a difference, we are sunk. GSB is here to stay..It’s a Global phenomenon after all. I don’t think NZers are a spark , somehow way ahead of everybody else, who will manage to save NZ from this fate. We
How do you wake up an entire nation of sleeping citizens in time to see the reality? (REALITY= MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS RULING THE WORLD…and yes we all noticed far too late, something “very wrong” with JK… it’s because he’s is a puppet.( Rich in his own right. Doesn’t care..etc etc. All the right “credentials”.. He is here to stay.
So quit thinking that a few protests, meetings etc are going to make a difference. The Game has changed. New & Totally Different & Original Strategy is required now…if there is to be any hope.
Sorry to sound so dismal, but I am a realist.
Went to the town hall and enjoyed the meeting but was a bit disappointed as it was preaching to the choir. Why didn’t anyone give instructions on how to contact local MP’s and voice their concern? Seemed to be a bit of a waste of time to me as activism involves introducing the issue to those in the dark, not a ra-ra-fest to the congregation like last night was. Seriously, it was a great opportunity to get interested parties spreading the message and it was just wasted..
It was watched by thousands of kiwis and the latest Roy Morgan poll shows Labour/Greens would win an election if it was held now, meaning the bill would be reviewed… and we’d have a far more democratic coalition in parliament… I’d say that’s a bit of a win, this is likely to be the issue that sinks the national party for quite some time, which is a good thing, as that particular leopard will never change it’s spots, no matter how centrist and moderate they may try to appear while trying to win an election, they don’t give a toss about small businesses or the people who actually do the work in this country never have. Absentee farm landlords and arse licking corporate sell outs the lot of them.
Just one, but Suggested ” Earliest” Strategy :
Hittem in the Purse- STOP supporting /buying from ALL Corporations
1)) Support NZ businesses only.(Yes I know..eg The Warehouse is fab…BUT it Killed NZ businesses, + Slaves make the stuff you buy.)
2) Somehow, stuff Telecom..see if you can avoid..
3) Get rid of your TV..Junk for the mind + “fake” “news”..
4) Get rid of your cellphone!!! (Hey, we all had FAR more free time before!!)
5)Buy your food fresh from local farmers markets, INSTEAD of Supermarkets..
TRUST ME , our FAKE, ” OUTSIDE IMPOSED/ RULED LIVES,” will start to feel better.. BETTER, when you start to simplify…life .. the way it used to be..to be ENJOYED.
When Families, and People..HUMANS mattered…
BEFORE the outside ARTIFICIALLY imposed RULES ..
Wasn’t the first thing John did when first elected was get rid of the ‘Buy Kiwi Made’ campaign? I always thought that was a strange thing to do. Buying from international clothing chain stores is like wearing a uniform. One thing I love about small N.Z made businesses is the originality, they are also well made things that last, and knowing it keeps those people in business. Nothing sadder than cool businesses closing down.
Great to see this clip online here! And Marama is so right, like some other speakers, and she rightfully says, this spying has already been going on for a long time, and it is not just on “criminals” and supposed “terrorists”, it is targeting activists, journalists with dissenting views and the likes.
Sadly the journalistic profession in NZ sold itself out long ago. It makes me damned angry to have people like Sean Plunket, turning up with apparent hangover and half drunk from the previous night, on his show on Radio Live, and rant on about all these “lefties”, Labour being supposedly wrong and useless, ridiculing Russell Norman and the Greens and glorifying John Key.
He did, and I heard it, and it is damned true, confess in February or so this year, that he only got his previous job at Radio NZ National, due to Jim Bolger wanting him to get it.
That is how damned corrupt many in the media here are. And there are many others towing the line, ignoring the truth and continuing to cheer lead National.
We have almost no true media freedom and truthful reporting, and even RNZ National gets compromised more and more week by week.
NZ media is nothing more of an extension of “Fox” and so.
It is time that people bloody wake up and take a damned stand against the lies, deceipt and manipulations we are presented. The commercial advertising is a disease in the media and the corruption of the minds of people. Abolish commercial media, once and for all, and hold them accountable for the stuff they report on, thank you!
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