So the spy watchdog has been neutered into a lap dog

By
Martyn Bradbury
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8
0

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This was barely focused upon last week…

Spy watchdog: No assurances for agencies
The watchdog tasked with overseeing the country’s spy agencies says it is not yet possible to say that they have adequate systems in place to ensure correct behaviour.

The annual report by Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Cheryl Gwyn has been tabled in Parliament by Prime Minister John Key.

Ms Gwyn has powers that allow her to access all premises and documents of the intelligence and security agencies, and to require the appearance of witnesses under oath.

Her annual report must also outline an assessment of the compliance systems of the intelligence agencies, and comes after revelations of illegal spying on New Zealanders.

However, Ms Gwyn said today that it is not yet possible to give assurances that the two agencies have comprehensive compliance regimes.

“Due to my limited time in the role and challenges to adequately resource the Office during the reporting year, I am not yet able to certify that either the NZSIS [the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service] or GCSB [Government Communications Security Bureau] has overall systems that are sound.
That does not necessarily mean the compliance systems are unsound.

“While I am not able at this stage to certify the agencies’ compliance, I am encouraged by the significant progress made by the GCSB following the Kitteridge report. The GCSB has devoted significant resources and organisational focus to compliance matters.

..with all due respect, what a load of fucking bullshit! These spy agencies have been caught red handed illegally spying on NZers, colluding with the PMs Office to smear the Leader of the Opposition months before the 2011 election and they have been outed by Edward Snowden telling the NSA that the GCSB legislation allowed mass surveillance while Key was telling us it didn’t.

What has happened since that? Has anyone been arrested? Has there been any curtailing of power? No, not at all – shockingly enough Key has given these intelligence agencies 24 hour warrantless spying, vast increases in budget, retrospective legislation wiping all their illegal spying clean, mass surveillance laws, the power to force Telcos to grant the GCSB backdoor entry to all their networks and all these erosions of our civil liberties were rammed through Parliament under urgency.

To have the farcical oversight we have been given report they don’t really know if the Intelligence Agencies Key abused to win the 2011 election are actually conducting lawful activities is just not fucking good enough!

If this was any other democracy, people would be on the streets demanding accountability.

Unfortunately the Cricket World Cup is on.

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8 COMMENTS

  1. We might as well be annexed by the USA if this is the best our watchdogs can do. Then at least the USA couldn’t claim us as another country supporting their more war policies

  2. They arent our watchdogs, they are in place to ensure the govt isnt held to account. Reading what they say is predictable. Give assurances at the beginning of their statements and then slowly degrade their assurances to mindless babble at the end. Who are these people that support the govt 100%?? Are they all insane money and power drunk idiots?

  3. I wonder at Key pushing these bills through so fast, wouldn’t he be needing the Queen’s ascension first, before any bill can be passed? If that is the case, and Key hasn’t got royal ascension first, yet the bill has gone through, wouldn’t that make the bill itself null and void, as well as illegal, not to mention the fact that such an act of pushing any bill through without royal ascension in itself is illegal?
    So wouldn’t that incriminate Key of any illegal activities, calling for his removal from office?
    I’d love to hear a response on those questions, just so it clears up my curiosity in understanding.

    • Thge royal accension doesnt happen till after the third reading in parliament.

      But the governor general does have a right to force a bill to go back before parliament if there is a big enough reason.

      So far as i know this has never happened in New Zealand But it is basically What happened to Gough Whitlam in Australia when ? Kerr the Australian Govenor general at the time sacked whitlam and called a new election.

      This was back in the 1970s I think from memory.

  5. “challenges to adequately resource the Office during the reporting year”

    And the figures are? And the shortfall is?

    And the gloss-over – “The GCSB has devoted significant resources and organisational focus to compliance matters.” What exactly does that mean? Who decided that the amount was ‘significant’?

    Weasel words. Simply weasel words. ‘Yes, Minister.’

  6. Its all mindless babble. I thought i was stupid and missing crucial points in their statements. I would pick it apart, until one day i listened to key, he contradicted himself on numerous occasions in one speech. That was my lightbulb moment. His supporters need answers, but are not particular about the content of the answers.

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