ISC received People's Review of the Intelligence Services

Monday, 29 February 2016

ISC received People's Review of the Intelligence Services

Prime Minister and Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) John Key and fellow members of ISC have been sent the People’s Review of the Intelligence Services today.

The People's Review was commissioned by Stop the Spies, a coalition consisting of community and civil society groups across Aotearoa New Zealand.

In comparison with Sir Michael Cullen and Dame Patsy Reddy's Intelligence Review, the People's Review is independent.

“Many people saw the Government's review of the intelligence agencies as hobbled before it even began. A Dominion Post editorial even went as far as describing the two reviewers as 'not fit for the task',” says Stop the Spies member Thomas Beagle.

Unlike the government commissioned review, the People’s Review was successful in soliciting a wide range of views from ordinary people in New Zealand about the operations of the intelligence services.

Public meetings were held in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin and email submissions were also received.

The resulting People's Review shows deeply seated concerns about NZ’s membership in the Five Eyes network and the legitimacy of the GCSB and SIS.

It is a fact that there is widespread distrust of the spy agencies.

The ISC will meet on 8 March 2016 to consider the reports and determine when they will be tabled in Parliament.

ENDS

© Scoop Media