David

SHEARER

Labour Leader

22 July 2013 MEDIA STATEMENT

Dunne deal won’t restore confidence in GCSB

John Key’s last minute deal with Peter Dunne to secure a one vote majority for the GCSB bill won’t be enough to restore public confidence in New Zealand’s spy agencies, says the Labour Leader David Shearer.

“The government has never made the case for extending the GCSB’s powers, and Labour cannot support this legislation as it stands.

“The changes announced today do not go nearly far enough. This is a political jack-up between the Prime Minister and Peter Dunne, designed to allow John Key to try to put his botched handling of the GCSB and the Kim Dotcom case behind him.

“This is no way to write and pass a piece of law that will affect the privacy and security of all New Zealanders.

“John Key has ridden rough-shod over the views of the majority of New Zealanders who want an independent review of our intelligence agencies to be held before the drafting of new law. That’s a view also shared by the Human Rights Commission, the Law Society and the Privacy Commission.

“Instead, Mr Key is now proposing to hold a review in 2015 – conveniently after the election. Well that is just putting the cart ahead of the horse. The inquiry should come first, so that we can get the legislation right first time.

“But unfortunately John Key was not listening to New Zealanders. Once again he has shown just how out of touch he is. The Prime Minister has missed out on the opportunity to get world-class legislation covering all of our intelligence agencies, because he wanted to get this bill across the line quickly,” says David Shearer.

ENDS

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