We had to allow the GCSB to help agencies spy on NZers, and had to expand the search and surveillance powers of the Police, and give the SIS warrantless searches and millions more in funding and set up a dozen other intelligence agencies because there were real threats targeted at us.
This is the Government’s position as to why we had to pass all these new surveillance laws.
Ignore that the SIS colluded with the PMs Office to manufacture a smear against Goff months out from the 2011 election, ignore that our SIS are now being investigated for links to CIA kidnap and torture missions, ignore the hundreds of millions of dollars worth of 5 Eye surveillance software and hardware that the NSA have given to NZ – let’s just focus on what these supposed threats are which justified the NZ Government gaining big brother powers.
Let’s have a look at what was so serious for us to allow the GCSB to become an Orwellian poster boy…
1 Violent extremism in NZ and by New Zealanders – the report warns migration is creating communities with “distinct identities and links overseas”. It appears to reflect information the SIS has learned from Muslim communities.
2 Loss of information and data – the means by which a cyber attack is done is “easier to acquire and easy to combine with insider threats”. It poses economic and reputational risks.
3 Hostile intelligence operations in and against the country – the report warns of “industrial espionage” against companies and “targeting of New Zealanders by foreign governments”. Again, the consequence of increased migration could be linked to these concerns.
4 Mass arrivals – the entire small section is redacted, but John Key has previously spoken of concern over boat-loads of refugees making landfall in New Zealand.
5 Trans-national organised crime – drugs, money-laundering and illegal fishing are highlighted, brought about by an “open economy, the internet and established networks among migrant communities”.
6 Instability in the South Pacific – the entire section is blanked out, but the SIS has had a close focus on Fiji, its leadership and anti-regime movements in New Zealand and Australia.
…let’s go through this point by point shall we?
1 – If you don’t want migrant communities becoming isolated and radicalised, spend more time reaching out culturally and communicating with those communities. If you create friction and a sense of grievance, then you give radicals recruits. We didn’t need to let Key build an Eye of Mordor so that we could be kind and welcoming to migrant cultures.
2 – Cyber security. Beyond the fact that our Government Departments seem perfectly capable of destroying our privacy all on their own and Westpac is more than happy to turn over personal information to the police without a warrant, cyber security and protection is a legitimate concern. But again, that doesn’t justify allowing the State such overwhelming surveillance powers!
3 – “Industrial espionage” – yawn. Really? Since when was the economic interests of corporations the focus of the security agencies?
4 – This mass arrivals myth is just such a joke. If anyone can sail thousands of kilometres through some of the must rugged seas, all the while passing Australian land that they could easily use for refugee purposes, then they should all get guest spots on the next America’s Cup competition. Having the GCSB spy on us because of a myth seems extraordinary.
5 – Organised Crime is always a great excuse because no one likes criminals. Certainly organised crime is a problem, but that’s an issue for the Police to deal with – why would our spies get involved?
6 – Instability in the Pacific? Why do we need to be spied on for those purposes? If we are concerned about instability in the Pacific, why aren’t we doing more in ways of education, health care, basic infrastructure, allowing more Pacific people to live here, stopping Australian, Chinese and American companies manipulating small island states and of course the biggest thing we could be doing to stop instability in the Pacific is do something meaningful about climate change. I’m not sure how giving the state the power to spy on us does anything meaningful to stop climate change.
These ‘threats’ are nothing of the sort. We have traded huge civil liberties for mice, not monsters.
the list does not include “domestic dissent” which is surprising given the number of times the SIS has been tumbled breaking in, spying on or infiltrating animal rights, environmental, union, marxist and other groups exercising their freedom of association and expression
it is difficult to believe todays descendants of the “pie and Penthouse” brigade are not filling their boots with warrantless snooping and their other new powers
commercial activity, spying on behalf of the corporates one way or another as during the Hobbit debacle is definitely part of the GCSB and SIS brief these days too
The reason the list does not include that is because it would require a degree of honesty.
Nicely said Martyn
The government might even crack down on Buddhists to improve relations with China.
Welcome to the glorious new Soviet Union and pay homage to our great leader Vladimir Key.
Bogosity at its most excellent.
And just like the word bogosity doesn’t exist yet still suggests images of a bogus group or individual…so too does couching all this high talk about ‘ National Security ‘ to justify what is , in fact , a taxpayer funded exercise to promote greater surveillance of our own populace and to do so unfettered by former laws that were there to protect an individuals fundamental rights.
The Key led govt has presided over the most dangerously anti democratic and quite frankly – corrupt – govt this country’s people have ever known.
And hes achieved this by being a carefully manufactured script tailored to the NZ psyche – particularly by such groups as Crosby Texter.
It was not so long ago this man was caught out lying not only about the web of dirty politics emanating from his office claiming he didn’t know a thing about it – but also caught out blatantly lying about the software program XKEYSCORE.
We then went on to learn that NZ is designated by the 5 eye spy network – and particularly the USA – as being ‘useful ‘ in spying on nations they couldn’t access.
That nation turned out to be China with whom we have a free trade agreement with. Not only that , – but several Pacific Island nations were alarmed at NZ spying on their govt’s as they saw us as friends who wouldn’t do that.
Following the exposure of Key lying to the NZ public about the XKEYSCORE surveillance software program, and the debacle that followed and finally forced the truth from him with revelations at the Auckland Town Hall , – he then – through legal advise from primarily England’s version of the 5 eye spy network set about not only changing the law….
But people like Ian Fletcher were quietly removed and someone not tarnished by the lies exposed in Dirty Politics were installed.
Following on from that – laws were changed to allow warrant-less spying by Police – a gross breach of any democratic country by any chalk.
We have been lied to , our fundamental democratic rights have been tampered with , our sovereignty usurped , unilaterally by Key going ahead with the unpopular and anti democratic /anti sovereign TTPA , – and to preserve public relations and to give an official – ” we know what were doing and its all in your best interests ” – we have the GSCB attempting to put a concerned humanitarian facade up to give the impression this is being done for our welfare.
POPPYCOCK !!!
This is yet another PR campaign designed to soften us up to yet ever increasing increments of relinquishing our individual rights and protections and to further undermine this nations sovereignty .
This Key must be seen for what he really is : a duplicitous , lying opportunist that was groomed for just these very purposes. That he is even capable of the puerile act of hair pulling a female’s ponytail and guilty therefore of common assault and goes without legal punishment when he carried out those assaults over a 6 months period – is ample evidence that his backers and minders , have succeeded in corrupting dept’s and offices in the highest places.
We even have now our very Police acting on this mans govt to protect this govts interests over and above the rights of the citizens.
What other can this be called when the ‘ elected representatives ‘ achieve this status of un-touchability and un-accountability by subterfuge , stealth , deceit and obfuscation but TOTALITARIANISM.
Excellent summation WK.
Yep. The greatest threat to NZ is from within, bullying, menacing NatzKEY, working for foreign interests against the welfare and rights of NZers.
Instead of being the designated agents of protection, the police force treats Kiwis with disdain, intimidating ordinary inoffensive citizens, something learned well from the force’s corrupt, manipulating masters in govt!
Interesting that these points weren’t at the top of the list of threats!
There is indeed a very dark cloud hovering over NZ, courtesy of FJK and his dirty, marauding bunch of mobsters! And the situation is getting more ominous by the day!
What is it going to take, before Kiwis finally wake up?
This front page article in the herald was simply a way of getting a large picture of JK in front of the NZ people, straight after the ‘win’ of the rugby World Cup. It is subliminal advertising at its sneakiiest.
The article is fluff – the association of ‘winners’ and JK is huge!
Great propaganda – cant believe you missed this Martyn.
Say whut?! …brought about by an “open economy
“Open economy”?!?!
So let me see if I get this straight; since 1984, Douglas and his cronies turned New Zealand into an “open economy” – and that is now one of the causes of our security problems?!?!
*facepalm* God help me. We have a nation governed by ideological idiots elected by 1,131,501 fools.
By the way, the “intelligence” *cough* community left out #7: invasion from mMars.
Why not. It seems as likely as “mass arrivals”.
Or is that what “mass arrivals” refers to; https://top50sf.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/mars-attacks-opener.jpg
As talented as spooks may be. There really only educated to a level just under post grade.
And the only place that higher a such types are conspiracy theory departments.
Besides. Counting the numbers of arrivals at airports get really boring. It makes sense some would start wildly imagining first contact.
…and NZ Herald publishes this just a day or two after bad press in regard to the SIS acting illegally.
Still, we can’t be too hard on the Herald, they don’t control the timing of whatever the ninth floor is feeding them.
.
I’m surprised you were so dismissive of point three, Martyn. ” Hostile intelligence operations in … the country” -sounds like something that WAS happening in our country very resent history.
“6 Instability in the South Pacific – the entire section is blanked out, but the SIS has had a close focus on Fiji, its leadership and anti-regime movements in New Zealand and Australia.”
If this is a great concern, why not increase our defense spending, train the populace to defend the country. Build a bigger better navy, reintroduce a modern strike air force. If there is great concern, then give the people of New Zealand the ability to look after themselves. Other nations can do it, yet Key would rather have us concerned with such stupid phrases as “instability in the Pacific”. The only instability we have in the Pacific is in the minds of the National government…
Prime Minister John Key says threats to New Zealand have “changed dramatically” during the years of his leadership
conclusion, key is the greatest threat to nz security – its the same program of manufactured threats americans have been under for years, not saying theres no threats as they manufacture things like isis to polarize citizens to give up rights
I heard a rumour that Cadbury’s is moving out of Dunedin???
Also very interesting movie alert; Deep Web about the Silk Road site founder, it was fascinating and maybe a revolution is happening through this Deep Web which I knew nothing at all about. Very very interesting indeed. Very smart young people could change the system for the better. Anyone interested in the Kim.Com case will be interested in this movie, especially about the American twisted justice system. It has a sad ending, but change is blowing in the wind (or whatever that saying is).
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