Spying powers - Labour sells out

Labour sell out on 24 hour surveillance – how easily led are NZers really?

http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/12/02/labour-sell-out-on-24-hour-surveillance-how-easily-led-are-nzers-really/

Labour leader backs controversial anti-terror law

Labour has confirmed it will support new foreign fighter laws after changes including a softening of a planned 48-hour warrant-free period for spies.

“We accept there is an increased threat level and new measures are needed to ensure our security agencies can rapidly respond to terrorist threats,” Labour Leader Andrew Little said after a caucus meeting discussed changes hammered out at a select committee.

“Labour has ensured that all searches on potential terrorist activity will require a warrant except in cases of urgent and extreme risk.

“Even in these circumstances, the Director of the Security and Intelligence Service will be required to immediately notify the Commissioner of Warrants and the Inspector General of Intelligence; and a warrant obtained within 24 hours, not the originally proposed 48 hours,” Little said.

It sounds like Labour are selling out on the SIS spy powers. Trying to claim 24hour warrantless spying is preferable to 48hour warrantless spying is a bit like claiming being head-butted is better than being punched. Sure one might be slightly less painful, but that’s a bloody thin silver lining you are desperately trying to describe as a tapestry..

If Labour believe that stopping the SIS from using warrantless spying on Economic and Commercial interests is a safeguard, think again. Each of those Economic and Commercial interests merely need to suggest terrorism is the threat that will damage those Economic or Commercial interests and the threshold for warrantless spying is met.

The defence that this evidence will need a warrant if the footage is to be eligible as legal evidence is a false promise. The SIS could use warrantless spying with no intention whatsoever of that footage reaching evidential thresholds if all they are after is intelligence.

With all that we now know about the GCSB and NSA sharing everything and the NSA’s ability to watch everything our SIS do, this footage would become immediately shareable with the bloody US intelligence community. Why would we open ourselves up to that?

This is the same SIS that has just been outed falsifying information to smear the Leader of the Opposition months out from an election via a far right hate speech blog. Giving them the power to break into our homes, plant spy cameras and film us without a warrant for 24hours when they have shown that they are more than happy to interfere in an election campaign is bewildering.

Labour are rolling over on this to show the Deep State and the establishment that Labour are trust worthy enough to erode civil liberties when the system demands it. Labour over compensate for the Police state because they are frightened of being perceived as liberally soft by an authority worshipping muddle Nu Zilind. The mainstream media punditry won’t allow a Labour leader to become PM if he’s going to damage their interests, Cunliffe found that out, so Little must show he’ll play ball with the Spooks and give them all the extra powers they want. Remember, Shearer met secretly with Key to try and cut a deal on the GCSB legislation, so Labour are hardly the great defenders of our civil rights as they like to pay lip service to.

To ward off the sell out label, Labour will probably throw their activist base a bone in the form of coming out and saying no troops to Iraq. That way they get to look principled as they allow the bloody SIS to break into our homes whenever they feel the need for a fishing expedition.

The irony for Little is that these powers won’t be used against bloody terrorists because there aren’t any, they will be used to spy on Unions, Maori, Environmentalists, anti-poverty campaigners, TPPA activists and other protest movements.

There is not one actual justification for ramming these new spy powers through for agencies who have been caught out abusing those powers, Key can do it because the people of NZ rallied to him and gave him an incredible mandate to do whatever the bloody hell he wants.

The question must be, how easily led are NZers? There’s been no explanation as to why we suddenly need to re-invade Iraq and help guide drone strikes that kill dozens of civilians for every one ‘terrorist’. There’s been no explanation why the SIS need to break into our homes and plant spy cameras without warrants. There’s just been a lot of Muslim bashing fear mongering and irresponsible divisiveness by the Prime Minister to spook NZers into relinquishing their rights, but no actual rational debate.

When Seven Sharp is the new bench march for public debate, that debate becomes wilful ignorance.

God defend NZ because, no other bugger is. 

Prime Minister signalled much tougher security laws to come

PM again under attack over Slater link

Prime Minister John Key has been forced once again to defend his contact with Cameron Slater - including how the right-wing blogger got his new cellphone number.

Radio NZ,

2 December, 2014

Mr Key last week told reporters he could not remember when he had last received a text from Mr Slater. It turned out to be the night before.

He then had to correct an answer he had made in Parliament.

Today, the questions in the House kept coming.

Listen to more on Checkpoint ( 3 min 9 esc )

Greens' co-leader Russel Norman asked how Mr Slater got hold of Mr Key's new number, to which Mr Key replied he had texted it himself to both reporters and bloggers who he had texted.

Dr Norman then asked whether Mr Key replied to Cameron Slater, while ignoring gallery reporters, because the blogger was his friend or because he feared him.

"Considering that Mr Slater has verbally abused two dead boys and accused the victim of an alleged sexual attack of making it up, how disgusting would Cameron Slater have to be before the Prime Minister severed all contact with him?"

John Key

Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski

Mr Key said he did not condone all of Mr Slater's statements, blogs or actions.

Labour leader Andrew Little waded in, asking Mr Key why he kept in contact with Mr Slater - prompting Mr Key to insist he did not have a proactive relationship with him.

Mr Key then lashed out at Labour, throwing the question back at Mr Little.

"Here's a little question for him... has he made it quite clear to all members of the Labour Party that they should have no contact with Mr Slater? And can he answer this question: when was the last time that they did?"

Mr Key also rejected claims National engaged in dirty politics.

"We don't undertake that on this side of the House but if I could just take a moment to catalogue the long list from the left. Shall we start with Phil Goff leaking reports to try to get a better pin?"

Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Cheryl Gwyn.

Photo: RNZ

The country's spy watchdog, Cheryl Gwyn, is investigating whether Labour's Phil Goff leaked parts of her report into the Security Intelligence Service before it was released last week.

However, she will not say whether she will also investigate whether John Key discussed the report with Mr Slater.

Meanwhile, it was revealed today the police will not investigate a Green Party complaint about claims in Nicky Hager's Dirty Politics book.

However, they are still considering a complaint made by Labour that National staff unlawfully accessed sensitive information on Labour's website in 2011.