21 November 2013

Did Key do a deal with the US Government to spy on NZers?

Prime Minister John Key must tell the public whether he has struck a deal with the United States to allow the National Security Agency (NSA) to spy on New Zealand citizens in light of today’s revelations that the United Kingdom agreed to this in 2007, the Green Party said today.

The latest Snowden leaks reveal that the US and UK Governments struck a deal in 2007 to allow the NSA to analyse and store the personal data of UK citizens.

“John Key must come clean on whether New Zealand has the same deal with the US that the UK spy agencies have, giving the NSA permission to spy on their citizens,” Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said today.

“Given that the US has done a deal with the UK, it is highly likely that they’ve done the same deal in New Zealand.”

A further draft NSA memo from 2005 also released today outlines a proposed procedure for the NSA to spy on the citizens of the other Five-Eyes nations, including New Zealand. The draft memo shows the NSA were prepared to spy on New Zealanders, even if the government had explicitly denied the US permission to do so. It also states that the NSA were not to inform the government about the surveillance or the procedure.

“If New Zealand hasn’t struck a similar deal, then John Key must ask the NSA directly if they’ve been spying on New Zealand citizens, given these documents show they’re willing to do it without permission,” said Dr Norman.

“The draft memo shows that the NSA were willing and able to carry out mass surveillance on New Zealanders without the permission of the government.

“This new information shows that NSA can, and very likely has, spied on New Zealand citizens.

“The NSA is giving itself the power to spy on New Zealanders, and it is John Key’s responsibility to ask the US if they were spying on us.

“The Five-Eyes network has apparently operated on the basis of a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ that each partner could be trusted not to spy on the citizens of the other members. These revelations blow apart any of the supposed protections for New Zealand citizens of being part of the Five-Eye network.

“Once again we’re seeing how wide-reaching the global surveillance state has become, and now New Zealand citizens seem to be directly caught up in it.

“Prime Minister John Key has no choice but to start asking questions. We cannot sit by while the rights of New Zealanders are trampled,” Dr Norman said.

Link to US/UK agreement - http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/audio/video/2013/11/20/1384967623196/nsatear900-001.jpg
Links to draft NSA memo - http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/audio/video/2013/11/20/1384967830162/NSAtear4-001.jpg
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/audio/video/2013/11/20/1384967804851/NSAtear3-001.jpg

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