New Zealand's spying scandal

Government called to account for spy claims

The Prime Minister's office is denying the fibre optic cable that links New Zealand with the world is being intercepted.

RadioNZ,

1 August, 2014

A document shows a United States National Security Agency engineer was in the country in February last year to discuss how to intercept traffic on the Southern Cross fibre optic cable with New Zealand's electronic spies.

New Zealand lawyer Denis Tegg found a reference to the engineer's visit in unclassified NSA papers saying he was in New Zealand for technical discussions regarding a future Government Communications Security Bureau SSO site.

SSO stands for Special Source Operations, which have the ability to tap countries' fibre-optic cables so phone calls, internet and email use can be intercepted.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said on Friday the revelation of the meeting in Blenheim, where the GCSB has its Waihopai spy base, is extraordinary. He said the Government needs to be honest with New Zealanders about whether they're being spied on using powerful US technology.

"This is about establishing an interception point on the Southern Cross cable that connects New Zealand to the rest of the world. When you're on the phone talking to someone overseas, your communications are going down that cable. When you're sending emails offshore they're going down that cable and any time you're on the internet it's connecting offshore, it's going down that cable.

"And John Key now knows what you're doing, because he's put an interception point on it."

Dr Norman told Radio New Zealand's Checkpoint programme that, as the minister in charge of spying agencies, Mr Key must have been aware of the plans.

"What we don't really know is whether it's the GCSB that wants to do it for its own purposes and is just getting some support from the US government, or whether it's the US government that wants to add it to their network and are getting help from the GCSB to do it."

Dr Norman said it's incredible that Mr Key could have been assuring New Zealanders he was protecting their privacy at the same time as these discussions. He said data collection would represent a massive expansion of the bureau's capabilities.

But a statement from Prime Minister John Key's office on Friday says no such programme operates in New Zealand, nor is there an intention of introducing one.

The statement said they don't use the term SSO, and what is being referred to is a "cable access programme". However, there is no explanation of what that is, or why someone was in New Zealand from the NSA to discuss it.

Finlayson keeps mum on Dotcom after FBI meeting

Details remain murky after the Deputy Director of the FBI Mark F Giuliano met with Attorney General Chris Finlayson at the Beehive today.

TV1,

31 July, 2014

Mr Finlayson is refusing to say whether they discussed the issue of Kim Dotcom's extradition, insisting that he doesn't discuss publicly, issues before the courts.

"I'm not talking to you about the Kim Dotcom case....I discussed with him issues of cyber crime which is what I discussed with a quintet of attorneys general in London recently," says Mr Finlayson.

He insists Mr Giuliano was merely popping in for a courtesy call on his way home from Australia.

The US government is trying to extradite Kim Dotcom over alleged copyright breaches. As Attorney General Mr Finlayson is in charge of Crown Law, the agency dealing with the US government over the extradition.

"I couldn't guess what is happening in the meeting but i'm sure the US is frustrated with their efforts around Dotcom," Green Party co-leader Russell Norman.

Mr Dotcom is fighting the extradition in the New Zealand courts.

Meanwhile, a ONE News/Colmar Brunton poll has found New Zealanders are more trusting of Mr Dotcom than the Prime Minister.

On the question of just when Mr Key knew about Mr Dotcom, almost half of respondents believed Mr Dotcom.

Just a third of voters believe Mr Key.