Tensions are high in New Zealand over a new bill that would allow the country’s GCSB agency to conduct warrantless NSA-style spying on citizens. Prime Minister John Key, who was grilled on the bill at a presser, cut the meeting short and left early.
The country’s top official on Monday was showered with questions
on the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) amendment bill, answering some of them, and
effortlessly evading others. However, after less than 14 minutes
of the presser, Key appeared to have lost patience with the
journalists and walked off, leaving a question on privacy
completely unanswered.
“Prime Minister, numerous legal jurors have informed us
publicly that they disagree with you wholeheartedly, that you are
taking broad powers, which would allow you to invade privacy…and
you are saying that all those people are wrong…” a journalist
said to Key.
“Correct,” the Prime Minister said before immediately
interrupting the rest of the question by asking, “Is this a
question buddy?”
He then indicated that the question contains the answer, thanked
everyone, and left.
The New Zealand Law Society has published a submission opposing the GCSB
amendment bill, in which it summarized citizens’ concerns and
provided a detailed analysis of the absence of clear
justification for several changes in the law.
The document particularly highlighted that “The Bill empowers the GCSB to spy on New Zealand citizens and residents, and to provide intelligence product to other government agencies in respect of those persons, in a way not previously contemplated,” saying that this is “inconsistent with the rights to freedom of expression and freedom from unreasonable search and seizure under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (NZBORA) and with privacy interests recognized by New Zealand law.”
Snapper on John Key's doorstep. #gcsbpic.twitter.com/35UP64QqcW
— AAMC (@AAMCommons) August 17, 2013
During the media conference, Key also refused to answer a query
regarding whether the GCSB would protect the country’s citizens –
businesses or individuals – from warrantless spying by the
Five-Eyes partners and their contractors, such as the NSA. The
question was referring to a part in the new bill which would
allow intelligence sharing with foreign agencies.
“We have the responsibility to protect the New Zealanders if
we choose to…against credible threats,” Key responded, adding
that he could only “admire” the questioner’s view on such
an issue being a threat. However, he refused to share his own
view on the subject.
More than 1,000 outraged New Zealanders on Monday packed
Auckland’s Town Hall for a meeting to protest against the
controversial GCSB bill. Speakers included opposition leaders,
investigative journalists, and famous internet figures.
MEGA founder Kim Dotcom was among those openly expressing his
opinion that the government is blatantly lying to the people.
“We’re being fooled into thinking this GCSB bill here is to
protect us,” he said. “We have a prime minister in New
Zealand who thinks he can just push this through with one vote
against the will of New Zealanders,” Dotcom added.
Prime Minister Key recently made a remark in which he stated that
the issue of quotas for snapper – a local fish variety – is far
more popular with the New Zealanders than the GCSB bill.
“We got 124 submissions on the GCSB bill, and 30,000 on
snapper,” Key said, adding that “people do not raise
GCSB” at the public meetings he attends daily.
Following the statement, an angry group of anti-surveillance
protesters brandished an effigy of a snapper with a human face
that bore the Prime Minister’s features and left it at the
doorstep of Key’s house. They also shouted slogans against
homeland spying through megaphones.
Key, who previously stressed that citizens have the right to
protest, responded by saying the demonstrators
“definitely” crossed a line by staging the action.
Thousands of New Zealanders have been taking part in protests against the GCSB amendment, and many online
activists have stepped up their efforts to raise the people’s
awareness of the controversial bill.
View full video of Prime Minister John Key's Monday
presser: