Veteran left-wing activist John Minto says he was surprised to learn the Government Communications Security Bureau had been spying on New Zealanders, because he had dismissed it as a "conspiracy theory".
Now spokesperson for the Stop the GCSB Bill Coalition, Mr Minto says there's no justification for any expansion of the spy agency's powers.
"There is widespread concern right across the community at the extension of the powers of the GCSB to spy on New Zealanders," he said on Firstline this morning.
"Alongside that there's the Telecommunications (Interception Capability and Security) Bill, and those two things together should be – well, are – of huge concern to New Zealanders."
- VIDEO: John Minto on Firstline
The bill, which is now expected to pass after the Government secured the backing of independent MP Peter Dunne, will allow the GCSB to spy on New Zealanders. Currently it is forbidden to do so, but an inquiry found it had snooped on 88 New Zealanders in the last decade anyway.
Now a member of the Mana Party and an Auckland mayoral candidate, Mr Minto is no stranger to the Security Intelligence Service – the spy agency that is allowed to spy on Kiwis. He first came to their attention during the 1981 Springbok tour, when Mr Minto was head of the Halt All Racist Tours organisation.
Despite this, Mr Minto had confidence in the GCSB when it said it didn't spy on New Zealanders.
"We know that the GCSB for example has been spying on 88 New Zealanders despite telling us for 10 years, every year, 'No, we don't spy on New Zealanders, no we don't, no we don't, no we don't,'" says Mr Minto.
"I believed that. I didn't believe they were spying on New Zealanders. I thought that was just a conspiracy theory, but in fact the conspiracy theorists were right.
"And instead of reigning in this organisation, John Key's giving them extra power to justify the unjustifiable."
Mr Dunne's backing of the bill came with a few changes, but Mr Minto says they don't make a significant difference.
"There are some minor improvements, but really it's just tinkering around the edges," he says.
"What we need to do is challenge the Government to justify why we need this massive expansion of state power over our private lives, and we haven't had that justification given."
The Stop the GCSB Bill Coalition is holding a public meeting at 7pm tonight in Auckland at the Mt Albert War Memorial Hall. Speakers will include New Zealander of the Year Dame Anne Salmond and high-profile target for the GCSB, Mega entrepreneur Kim Dotcom.
3 News
source: newshub archive
