Stop the Spies Campaign Launch

A coalition of groups across the country have come together to call for the closure of the GCSB and the SIS, and for New Zealand to get out of the Five Eyes.

‘Over the coming months, the Government will run a narrow ‘Review of Intelligence and Security’ that is widely seen as hobbled before it even begins. We are taking this opportunity to call instead for a future without the GCSB and the SIS,’ said Valerie Morse, spokesperson for the Stop the Spies coalition.

‘The world is awake to the global spying network operated by the Five Eyes of the US, UK, Australia, NZ and Canada thanks to the work of Edward Snowden and fallout of the Kim Dotcom affair. In 2013 when the NZ state passed its controversial new Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) Act, massive public protests erupted.’

‘We join a long tradition of ordinary people who believe that NZ society would be better without the security services. We’ve come together because we don’t trust these agencies, and we don't believe that they act in the interests of ordinary people in this country or anywhere else,’ said Valerie.

‘By definition these agencies are political in their work – the security that they are charged with upholding is the security of those who hold power to maintain that power. Meanwhile life for ordinary people has become far more insecure – the struggle for jobs, housing, health care and a decent life is all around us.’

The coalition includes peace groups, civil libertarians, tech libertarians, and social justice activists. It is supported by the New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties, the What If? Campaign, and OASIS. The campaign is mobilising people around these three demands:

- Abolish the GCSB
- Abolish the NZ Security Intelligence Service
- NZ out of the Five Eyes Intelligence Agreement.

‘We call for other organisations across the country to contact us and join the Stop the Spies coalition. This is an issue that affects all of us.’ The coalition will be campaigning for the duration of the review and intends to run a series of public meetings, a film festival, a poster campaign, a social media campaign and regional public events.

ENDS

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