Enough spying lies, John - resign now

From: Organising Against State Intelligence and Surveillance (OASIS)
Date: 21 August 2013

“Instead of hearing of the GCSB bill being passed into law today, we would like to be accepting John Key’s resignation for the lies and obfuscations he has used to bolster his case for more spying,” said Anna Thorby on behalf of OASIS, “but sadly it will be like a lot of his other statements and reassurances that he makes in relation to state surveillance—meaningless hot air.”

This week John Key told reporters that he and his friend, Ian Fletcher, would resign if the GCSB undertook mass surveillance. But without missing a beat, he said that that would not happen as the only way it would be possible was if the GCSB were to undertake illegal activity.

“If John Key meant what he said, why didn't he resign when it became public knowledge that the GCSB had spied illegally on Dotcom, his family and his work associates? Instead his Deputy Bill English tried to cover up the entire thing. How is anyone to know if the GCSB is acting illegally since we cannot find out any meaningful information about the agency through the so-called ‘oversight.’ It was only the diligence of Dotcom’s lawyers and the insistence of the court that the GCSB’s criminal acts were exposed. The GCSB has undertaken illegal activities, and we have every reason to believe that they will continue to do so.”

“John Key has no integrity,” said Ms Thorby.

“The Kitteridge Report also pointed out that 88 people were illegally spied on by the GCSB; he could have offered his resignation then. Instead, he raised the spectre of terrorism and al-Qaeda in a vile attempt to cash in on the suffering of the people in Boston to advance his political agenda,” said Ms Thorby.

“It seems John Key tends to forget things. It is public knowledge that the GCSB has undertaken illegal activities, and it is highly likely that they will continue to do so.”

The GCSB is part of the UKUSA Agreement, and since Edward Snowden's public exposure of NSA and PRISM it has become clear that the five countries that make up that Agreement (the Five Eyes) have been involved in illegal mass surveillance.

“The GCSB is in the thick of it; there can be no denying it.”

The GCSB Bill is about legalising mass surveillance. All this bill does is strengthen surveillance powers and ensure New Zealand becomes a truly Orwellian surveillance society.

“OASIS believes both John Key's and Ian Fletcher’s letters of resignation should already be written. We won’t stop fighting the surveillance state so we put the government and opposition on notice that this isn’t going to go away once this bill is passed.”

ENDS

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