Revisiting the Moment of Truth and the realisation we were lied to

ByMartyn Bradbury

David Fisher must be in the running for best Journalist 2017 with this extraordinary investigation into how the sleepy hobbits of Muddle Nu Zilind were played and conned into believing Key was being honest when he claimed there was no mass surveillance plans for New Zealand…

John Key, mass surveillance and what really happened when Edward Snowden accused him of spying

Sir John Key’s story of how and why he canned a “mass surveillance” programme are at odds with official papers detailing development of the “Speargun” project.

The issue blew up in the final days of the 2014 election with Key claiming the programme was long-dead and had been replaced by a benign cyber-security system called Cortex.

Key always claimed the Speargun project to tap New Zealand’s internet cable was stopped in March 2013.

But new documents show development of Speargun continued after the time he had said he ordered a halt – apparently because the scheme was “too broad”.

Instead, they show Speargun wasn’t actually stopped until after Key was told in a secret briefing that details were likely to become public because they could be in the trove of secrets taken by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

…Fisher’s conclusion is damning…

It means that Key knew more than a year before the “Moment of Truth” event that it was possible Snowden would release details of a project intended to scan all internet traffic coming into New Zealand.

…Key knew Snowden knew the NZ Government were planning a mass surveillance program that would be controlled by the NSA and he lied directly to NZ to hide this fact.

Remember, the NSA were still using remote surveillance of Dotcom even after NZ intelligence agencies had switched them off…

Judge: Dotcom spied on two months longer than previously admitted

The illegal spying which earned Kim Dotcom an apology from former Prime Minister Sir John Key went on two months longer than previously admitted, according to a High Court judgment.

The revelation – if accurate – would open a can of worms over sworn admissions the GCSB has made in the High Court and the Court of Appeal over assistance given to police ahead of the FBI-inspired 2012 raid which saw Dotcom and three others arrested.

It could also raise the possibility of a fresh apology to Dotcom because Key’s apology was in the context of spying from December 16, 2011 through to January 20, 2012.

Questions have been asked of Prime Minister Bill English but he has not responded. A spokesman for GCSB Minister Chris Finlayson referred questions to the GCSB, even though previous issues around the illegal spying have been handled at ministerial level.

Remember the timeline here…

March 8th 2011 – Jerry Mateparae is stepped down as head of the GCSB.
March 15th 2011 – Top NSA spook, James Clapper, flies to NZ to meet with Key to discuss ‘synchronicity’ between the NSA and GCSB.
March 22nd 2011 – High level intelligence meetings
May 2011 – McCully visits Washington
June 17th 2011 – Key meets with Ian Fletcher for breakfast at Stamford Plaza.
July 22nd 2011 – Key is invited to Washington as pay back for this new ‘synchronicity’.
July 26th 2011 – Key side steps normal protocols and appoints his old school friend Ian Fletcher to take over at the GCSB.
October 2011 – John Key, the head of the SIS and NZDF join Ian Fletcher, the MFAT Head, and the DPMC boss for a secret dinner at the British High Commissioner’s home
December 8th 2011 – A letter states that Key is going to meet Ian Fletcher on 12th December
December 12th 2011 – Key meets with Ian Fletcher.
December 14th 2011 – The Police boss responsible for spying on Dotcom meets John Key with other intelligence agencies present.
December 16th 2011 – Kim Dotcom starts to be illegally spied upon.
January 2012 – Raid on Kim Dotcom. Spying supposedly ends.

 

Operation Speargun was set up to tap our Southern Cross cable and was waiting for the new GCSB law to pass, the GCSB law that Key claimed stopped mass surveillance, yet every other legal expert said would allow for mass surveillance. So the evidence is that Operation Speargun was running and was simply waiting for the legislation to pass, the very legislation that the GCSB went and briefed the NSA on. The documents Key released claiming that he stopped this plan show nothing of the sort.

This concentration of power follows a very clear path set out upon by National.

Remember:

  • National gave the Police vast new retrospective surveillance powers
  • National rammed through legislation under urgency allowing the State to force civil telecommunication companies to build backdoors to their networks and not tell their customers that the State had breached their privacy.
  • National rammed through legislation under urgency allowing the State to spy on NZers
  • The GCSB went from $80m to $140m in budget per year
  • The SIS were ‘rewarded’ with a huge increase in powers and budget.
  • The SIS colluded with John Key’s Office to falsely smear the Leader of the Opposition Phil Goff months before the 2011 election.
  • Warrantless spying

And National gave these security agencies even more powers that will allow…

…and these powers are being considered while there is an investigation under way that..

After getting caught illegally spying, after being caught being racist, after being caught abusing their power, after being given vast new mass surveillance powers, after having huge increases in budget – after all that, they still can’t keep all this information they now have on us secure in even the most basic ways. 

So what conclusions can we draw here about the mass surveillance state in New Zealand?

The unbelievable way New Zealanders and the mainstream media framed the Moment of Truth as a giant waste of time because Kim didn’t prove Key knew about him before he claimed shows the juvenile nature of our news culture.

The Moment of Truth had Assange, Greenwald and Edward Snowden prove without a shadow of a doubt that John Key had lied through his teeth about mass surveillance. It showed the NSA and CIA have staff here, it showed they planned to spike the sea cable and steal data directly from that feed and it showed that our GCSB went and met with the NSA to assure them the law Key had just pushed through allowed for mass surveillance despite Key telling the NZ public that it didn’t.

But what did NZ focus on? Kim not proving Key knew he existed before he claimed to have known.

We are our own worst enemies.

You were conned New Zealand.

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26 Comments

    1. I think that’s a terrible idea. We barely even talk to Australia right now and you want us to savagely slash relations with the U.S? Are you mad? Don’t answer that.

      #bigboypants eh.

      1. No I am not mad just better informed than you.
        Here is a couple of links to show you the bullshit that the US intelligence agencies and their military partners have become. Why would we want to be a part of that. http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/11/state-department-condemns-designation-of-media-as-foreign-agents-only-applies-to-russia.html#more

        https://www.activistpost.com/2017/11/despite-western-funded-ngos-boycott-vanessa-beeley-exposes-white-helmets-at-swiss-press-club.html

          1. I assume “Tier 1 response” is some sort of military jargon for all out war.
            Do neutral countries get attacked simply because they lack a huge military? Ignoring oil rich countries like Libya or Iraq they don’t. We seem to have survived the years outside the US fold following our ban on nuclear ships.
            Where is the treat to NZ you see that justifies being a part of 5 eyes?
            Terrorism? Events in Syria have proven that the US acts in league with the terrorists.
            https://www.sgtreport.com/articles/2017/11/15/explosive-bbc-admits-us-coalition-working-with-isis-providing-safe-passage-to-terrorist-fighters
            China? Here is a Quote from President Xi “the dreams of the Chinese people and those of other peoples around the world are closely linked. The realization of the Chinese dream will not be possible without a peaceful international environment and a stable international order.”
            http://www.atimes.com/article/xis-road-map-chinese-dream/
            Russia? If you care to read Putins speech at the link below you will see he is someone who seeks “peace and regional and global stability”
            http://www.newsweek.com/transcript-putin-speech-united-nations-377586
            It is the USA and NATO that have attacked sovereign countries,usually under the guise of protecting democracy, but really for their own economic ends, and because they control the western main stream media they have managed to pull the wool over most of their citizens eyes.
            The true threat to NZ is aiding and abetting these criminal governments as they continue to seek war. The latest targets for US aggression are Iran and North Korea.

  3. I haven’t heard much (any) policy from the new government about how it’s going to run the GCSB from here on. If someone has some details on new reforms/regulations (if any) that Labour/NZ First are imposing on the GCSB it would be appreciated. Or is it a case of “the kind is dead, long live the king (queen)”?

    1. I haven’t heard much (any) policy from the new government about how it’s going to run the GCSB from here on.

      If we are waiting for Labour to roll any of the legislation back I suspect we”ll be waiting forever.

  4. Dr Sir John Key or whatever, most highly rewarded friend of the Aussies, has obviously lied throughout this whole issue, misleading the country.

    It will be interesting with what David Fisher has revealed today, to see if Key is challenged over this. The lying toad needs to be brought to account.

    Another suspect case of spies, lies and alibis, involving the former PM!

    Yep agree, David Fisher is one of the very few star journalists in NZ. It’s surprising NZH has kept him on, considering what he has written over recent years, much of it in conflict with the views of Natz!

    1. He’s brilliant Mary. Always has been. But almost like a loan wolf on a paper of press release re-writers.

  5. Politican’s and merchant bankers have trouble distinguishing what the difference is between the truth and what is fantasy, the average punter will believe what mainstream media tell them, after all he was the most popular PM ever in the history of NZ and saved NZ from the GFC.

    1. Today RNZ a news item stated the USA had never fought with North Korea.

      Utter lies.

      They got NZ and OZ to join in a massive assault and technically are still at war with Korea.

      The USA carpet bombed North Korea leveling all industry, the majority of buildings higher than one story bringing utter havoc and wiping out families and a million or more of the population.

      What had north Korea done – they wanted to be left alone but no show with USA’s empire building.
      More bombs were dropped on North Korea per unit area then any other place on Earth at that time and included Napalm.

      RNZ is well under political control spreading lies and US propaganda but also is a bastion of some new though which the right wing business world hate.

  6. All very good and true, my friends, but who out there gets this ‘news’, who reads Fisher and his good articles?

    The truth is, damned very few, damned very few, and that is the damned problem of this hopeless society we live in, it is dominated by the powers that be, the ones who have money, the corporates, the business players, and the MSM that dance to their tunes.

    And sadly, most on social media, they feed on what the MSM feeds them nothing much else, same as on personal trivia and gossip.

    That is also why few bother reading new revelations such as this:
    https://nzsocialjusticeblog2013.wordpress.com/2017/11/21/how-the-new-zealand-ombudsman-effectively-provides-cover-for-the-hdc-an-information-request-complaint-case/

    You may learn something, as our so called ‘watch dogs’ are just another joke of sorts, not there to help us at all, but rather acting like they protect the establishment and status quo.

    Labour and Greens have NO forceful, strong base, they rely on the sentiment of social media and other soft hearted followers and voters, who do not bother or dare fight in the streets, against the corrupt and dominant powers that run the show, so nothing much ever changes.

    We can write, talk and post and comment as much as we like, when the majority are like the lemmings or sheep, following the lead animal, and their corrupted insticts, and do not start questioning the BS we get, we will not have a chance for change, same applies for our new government.

    Sorry to be so grim, that though is the sad truth.

  7. I trust Labour and NZ First, supported of course by the Greens, will reverse all these spy law changes the Nats brought in.

  8. This particular saga of lying by the former prime minister is just one tiny aspect of a system that it founded on lies and misrepresentations, and is perpetuated through the use of lies and misrepresentations.

    Needless to say, when an economic-political system is founded on lies and perpetuated through lies, it has no long-term future. Indeed, the way things are now looking it doesn’t even have much of a short-term future -energy depletion, collapse of the environment and mass extinction and all that:

    ‘The number of wild animals living on Earth is set to fall by two-thirds by 2020, according to a new report, part of a mass extinction that is destroying the natural world upon which humanity depends.’

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/27/world-on-track-to-lose-two-thirds-of-wild-animals-by-2020-major-report-warns

    And since the system is utterly corrupt, and run by banks and corporations for short term gain, the people who cause most damage and make matters worse faster, people like John Key, are given the highest rewards.

    Sadly, there is no stopping any of it because the average New Zealander is still ‘trapped in the Matrix’ and still believes the bullshit churned out by officialdom.

    1. Most politicians don’t give a fuck. They do talk but nothing effective comes of it. What goes on behind closed doors controls what happens.

      Elected career politicians are not functioning as democratic representatives.

      Once in, they do whatever for 3 years without public control over them. A lot of damage can be done in 3 years and repeat that cycle after cycle and we have a mess.

      A much better system was in place for a while in Libya where benefits were given to people at all levels of wealth. Luxury was a restricted item but families were looked after. US cartel intervened. Libya had a state bank.

      Based on “The Green Book”
      openanthropology.org/libya/gaddafi-green-book.pdf

      A more recent thinking from Canada

      http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/nights/audio/2018623576/david-mcnally-socialism-for-a-new-age

  10. Unfortunately investigative journalism is a dying art these days as you may find yourself in serious trouble with the establishment ?

    In some parts of the world you may die from suicide with a bullet in the back of the head ?

  11. Well Martyn , after taking a wee break from posting , and basking in the warm glow of having my dream team govt now in power,… and being more or less content ,… I am so glad you posted this article.

    Chris Trotter wrote about transparency in govt , – and to me , – and many others , – this particular episode in NZ’s political history stands alone in the chilling effects of just how slim is the line between how we view ourselves as a carefree nation , – and the actual subterfuge and ulterior motives within corporate and political power at high levels divorced from everyday living , … that is actual reality .

    We have witnessed Keys performance in changing our labour laws under urgency to favour corporate Hollywood , – without even a qualm about the effects on NZ’s unionized workforce. Indeed, … it served his purposes further to weaken them. What better way than to curry favour with a wealthy foreign nations vast multi million dollar industry. And an industry intimately tied in with the USA’s surveillance machine , and thus their military interests by association.

    And a foreign power , – that used its Hollywood motion picture industry to draw up regulations for the TTPA for Congress to ratify and endorse , – particularly regarding copyright issues. A corporate and political lobby group that would have massive influence in using our sovereign govt to subvert our very own laws to favour their monopolistic interests. A sector that even threatened President Obama with pulling the plug on funding and donations to get him re elected if he refused them.

    THAT , … is the sort of power and clout these people have.

    I am speaking , of course , … of the so – called ‘Hobbit Laws’ as they have come to be known.

    John Philip Key .

    Enemy of the people.

    Knighted by those who , by and large , had vested interests in doing so by nominating him. And MUCH to lose if Key went down in our courts for his lies and the subversion of our democracy.

    Nothing to do with the burgeoning homelessness, familys locked out of the housing markets, mass poverty , obscenely low wages…but EVERYTHING to do with those small numbers who stood to gain massively by supporting him. And at the average working New Zealanders expense.

    Now then , … the issues raised above by yourself , Martyn , are in fact very serious ones.

    We have a man called Kim Dotcom who was victimized by this John Key , who also , by all looks , … operated in collusion with the NSA and Corporate Hollywood to use illegal means to conduct surveillance on him ( Dotcom ) as well as a warrant that was later shown to be invalid , – thus illegal , – and while this John Key slips from the NZ political scene , remaining in the background , basking in an ill gotten Knighthood , … Dotcom continues to fight for his and his colleagues freedom years after the fact to avoid deportation to an almost certain mock trial in the USA , – a mock trial that would see him and associates locked inside a USA prison for decades.

    The vicious lies of the con man John Philip Key.

    Without conscience , without compassion , without moral scruples.

    An odious man who has yet to be sufficiently exposed for his criminal behaviors.

    For to do so would expose all of us to the viciousness, lies and subterfuge with which we have been willing to tolerate. To admit that we have been conned by the media , that the media work for geopolitical interests and not to inform New Zealanders , and that we were in fact willing to let ourselves be conned.

    And the price we pay for our indolent blase’ attitudes and allowing criminal acts to be performed by our political leaders before our very own eyes and by omitting to call them to answer for their criminality ?

    Decades of prison time for one permanent resident of New Zealand and three others of his associates and the destruction of their lives.

    Hang your heads in shame New Zealand.

    Sleep well.

    But for those of us who actually DO give a damn about the political health of this , our wonderful country , – perhaps these two in-depth and insightful documentary’s from Campbell Live ( before Stephen Joyce had Campbell Live axed because of political embarrassment ) will refresh some memory’s , – and alert others less informed to the unbridled skulduggery of the John Key era led National government.

    Please do enjoy.

    Dissecting the GCSB bill – Campbell Live (Kim Dotcom scandal …
    Video for Dissecting the GCSB bill – Campbell Live (Kim Dotcom scandal)▶ 16:11
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxytPFfTozE

    John Key discusses Dotcom saga – YouTube
    Video for John Key discusses Dotcom saga▶ 17:29
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1xwiyNl8w

    1. Wow! Great post WK, in fact if I’m allowed to say, one of your best yet, speaking the truth of what’s gone down in the past nine years, under the villainous watch of the biggest fraudster and traitor to be elected as PM in NZ!

      Of course I’m speaking of none other than that heinous corrupt fiend John Key, who with his love of Hollywood and pleasing the deviant movie mogals who tickle his fancy, he’d fit in very well in that debauched scene. Perversion seems to thrive in the movie industry and with his perverted tendency of touching the hair of girls and women, he’d automatically become one of the local deviants, no questions asked!

      Apart from the Speargun lies and deception issue, which I want to see him made accountable for, I’d also like to see Key charged with assault, for not keeping his grubby hands to himself in one particular case (waitress Amanda Bailey), refusing her constant requests to stop touching her. She said no and he ignored her, persisting feeding his insatiable perverted appetite for seven months! That in my book is assault!

      Key needs to be brought down.

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