New Zealand's fascist state

More fascist legislation from John Key as our democracy dies by a thousand cuts. Thx everyone who voted for this nazi

---Kevin Hester

Alarm at 'draconian' leaked spy law

Controversial "temporary" terror law changes to crack down on suspected foreign fighters will come before Parliament this week - and a leaked draft reveals they will be in place until 2018.

Stuff,

23 November, 2014

Previously unseen proposals would see the passports of wannabe jihadis cancelled while the holders are overseas, leaving them stateless - in a breach of an international ban.

And the Security Intelligence Service will be able to request a suspected terrorist be temporarily stripped of their travel documents for 10 working days without providing evidence.

This buys spies time to make a case for restricting travel.

Prime Minister John Key outlined plans to stop Kiwis leaving the country to join the Islamic State earlier this month.

He indicated the changes - which boost surveillance powers and allow passports to be cancelled for up to three years - would have a sunset clause and expire if not carried forward by a review of the intelligence services next year.

In response to the leak, Key released the final draft of legislation this afternoon.

He said he had been " as open as I can be with New Zealanders about that threat, without overstating it".

"As I said earlier this month, New Zealand's risk and threat profile is changing and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has been successful in recruiting New Zealanders to its cause.

"This draft legislation contains measures that can add to the safety and security of New Zealand in the short-term."

He repeated comments that the laws would be part of a review of security agencies next year, but said a full review would take much longer.

"The legislation is also subject to a sunset clause which reflects how long the full process of the more comprehensive review is expected to take," he said.

"I am working to seek broad political support for this legislation and my office is conducting those talks in good faith with a number of parties.

"We have also shared the draft legislation with a number of interested parties outside Parliament in order to give them additional time to consider it."

He confirmed the legislation would be introduced Tuesday and passed before the House rose for Christmas.

The "restricted" legislation will be debated under urgency and passed within three weeks. The sunset clause does not expire until April, 2018.

The Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bill will give police and the Security Intelligence access to Customs records and database, also not previously flagged by the Government.

The Government has also agreed to boost the SIS budget by $7 million and the agency is recruiting more spies.

Key says the changes are necessary because intelligence agencies have compiled a watch list of 30 to 40 people who want to join Islamic extremists waging war across Iraq and Syria.

The Greens are unlikely to support the legislation, although a final decision will be taken when MPs see the the bill this week. Co-leader Russel Norman is deeply concerned National is rushing through "further building blocks of the surveillance state before anyone can get a proper look at it".

He said: "It gives the SIS the legal right to break into your house without a warrant, install video cameras, videotape all your activities for 48 hours and hold on to all of that evidence."

Plans to render Kiwis stateless, without a trial, were "draconian and undemocratic", Norman said.

"You can be offshore, they take off your passport, you don't even know. And of course all of your travel documents - your visa for that country - become invalid.

"You can be locked up in that country for travelling without proper documents. You don't have any way to get home or anywhere else.

"This is the kind of thing the Chinese government does. You basically get convicted without a trial."

Islamic Women's Council spokeswoman Anjum Rahman says the fact that the Government has not yet made a case for the proposed law changes is "strongly uncomfortable".

"They are already able to cancel passports. There isn't a case for surveillance without a warrant - they haven't made one. And I, personally, feel vulnerable that I could be under surveillance for 48 hours without them having to give any reason."

She criticised the Government for a lack of communication with the Muslim community and wants more time for public submissions on the bill.

"They are using us for the reason for this legislation, but I have not seen or heard of any meaningful attempt to communicate with us."

She added: "The GCSB was found to have illegally spied on something like 88 people. That doesn't give us confidence that Government agencies will use their powers wisely.

"I appreciate that there is a need for security. I just don't believe there is a need to change the law."

John Key says sorry to Whale Oil

The prime minister has apologised to Whale Oil blogger Cameron Slater over the release of an email that forced Justice Minister Judith Collins' resignation.

Stuff,

23 November, 2014

The discovery comes as John Key awaits an inquiry report into an alleged smear campaign against the boss of the Serious Fraud Office. An email from Slater, obtained and released by Key, implicated Collins in the smear against her own official, saying she had been "gunning" for SFO director Adam Feeley.

Collins resigned, insisting she would clear her name. Key called an inquiry. Slater countered by lodging a privacy complaint against the prime minister for disclosing a personal email.

The email indicated Feeley may have been the target of a campaign to undermine him involving two bloggers, Cathy Odgers and Slater, and seemingly endorsed by Collins. At the time, Collins was overseeing the SFO, and the State Services Commission was investigating Feeley's actions.

Documents suggested the bloggers had been engaged by embattled Hanover financier Mark Hotchin to mount attacks, including one on the SFO director whom they dubbed "Five Fingers Feeley".

Justice Lester Chisholm is due to present his report to the prime minister this week. It is likely to clear Collins of any illegal actions. However, the bloggers may be the subject of criticism.

Despite this, Key has been forced to say sorry to Slater and Key's office has confirmed: "The Prime Minister recently wrote to Mr Slater to apologise."

But he stood by his actions. "The Prime Minister believes, however, it was in the public interest to release the email in question publicly," a spokeswoman said.

The Prime Minister's Office said it would not release the letter as it related to a privacy issue, but it was up to Slater to decide if he wished to make it public.

Slater yesterday agreed to issue a copy of the letter.

In it, Key says there was "intense media and public interest in matters concerning you and Judith Collins, following the publication of the book Dirty Politics", creating an "election issue".

Slater's email raised serious questions about Collins' conduct, he says. "In my view the reasons for Ms Collins' resignation were of real and legitimate public concern, and it was in the public interest that the fullest possible factual background be available."

But Key acknowledges the release of the email provoked increased media scrutiny of Slater and his family. "I regret any harm that may have been caused to you or your family by the release of the email, and hope that this letter may help to bring this matter to a close."

Neither Collins nor the bloggers were willing to comment before the report was released.

Otago University Law Professor Andrew Geddis said he would not be surprised if the inquiry found no wrongdoing by Collins.

"I'm not going to say that's a wrong conclusion either. It's always possible that she was acting as badly as intimated, but I just find it very hard to believe any politician could be that dumb. It wouldn't surprise me if [Slater] was just big-noting and puffing up his own importance with regards to this issue, and that he's misconstrued gossipy comments from one of their regular telephone conversations."