Denis Tegg does an incredible job of explaining why the GCSB legislation is so dangerous and represents one of the largest erosions of our collective civil liberties since the same Government passed sweeping new search and surveillance powers for the Police…
We have been assured repeatedly by the Prime Minister that the Government Communications Security Bureau cannot spy on New Zealanders without a warrant.
But what if our much greater knowledge of mass global surveillance gained from Edward Snowden’s disclosures has left New Zealanders exposed to lawful warrant-less spying by the bureau? That perverse outcome has been overlooked since the GCSB Act was passed last September.
Snowden’s revelations mean that most of us have greatly increased expectations that our calls and online activity will be intercepted by someone, somewhere.
A recent Stuff/Ipsos poll, shows 71.6 per cent of New Zealanders believe US spy agencies are gathering data on them.
These increased expectations of interception profoundly affect the legal interpretation of a critical phrase, “private communication”, in the GCSB Act.
It is critical because it is supposed to provide protection for New Zealanders against the GCSB’s most intrusive intelligence gathering and warrant-less interception powers.
The legislation has been purposely worded loosely so that the GCSB can allow the NSA whatever wriggle room they need to be able to justify mass surveillance which in turn they hand back to the GCSB. It is a venal and cynical attempt to circumvent domestic law, despite Key’s assurances that isn’t the case.
If Key can deny all allegations in a book he hasn’t even read, his ability to bare faced lie to the people of NZ about controversial mass spying doesn’t surprise me in the least.
The 2014 GCSB meetings to discuss the mass surveillance state legislation passed by this Government will be debated in Christchurch on Tuesday 19th August at two different meetings.
1pm at Christchurch University:
Chair: Bomber Bradbury
Ruth Dyson – Labour Party
Russel Norman – Green Party Leader
Mike Treen – GPJA
Beverley Ballantine – Internet Party
Matthew Weaver – Student
Mark Balderstone – Student
7pm at Cardboard Cathedral:
Chair: Bomber Bradbury
Russel Norman – Green Party leader
Megan Woods – Labour Party
John Minto – MANA Movement
Denis Tegg – Lawyer
Thomas Beagle – Tech Liberty
Lois McClintock – Internet Party
Mike Treen – GPJA
Murray Horton – Anti-Bases Campaign
In the interests of a better democracy, the 7pm meeting will be live streamed on TDB.
Given that on at least two occasions I know of in recent times the spy agencies in this country have got off scot free on illegal harrassment and invasions of citizens’ civil liberties, with retroactive legislation to make it good, any reassurance by any politician from Jno. Key on down is frankly worthless. The GCSB will carry out whatever surveillance, harassment, home invasion, and violation of civil liberties in full knowledge that a complaisant and paranoid government such as National, or Labout whilst it’s still in thrall to Neo-Liberal politics and Neo-Classical economic theory, will bail them out with further ‘enabling’ (i.e. retroactive) legitimating legislation.
So far as I am concerned, the GCSB is carrying out services in my behalf as a New Zealand citizen, that I do not require. Why in God’s green Earth should I be paying taxes for services I neither want nor need? Ah, yes. I’ve got it sussed. Modern governance is a protection racket, in precisely the same way the the whole mediaeval feudal system was a protection racket.
Which is why I don’t see modern Neo-Liberals as liberal in the slightest. They are Paleo-Feudalists… It is no consolation to think most of them will end up as serfs like the rest of us.
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