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When fear tactics backfire 2 – and GCSB roundup

Written By: - Date published: 8:20 am, August 21st, 2013 - 46 comments

John Key (the PM who has on multiple occasions overspent the budget on his own protection staff) really dug himself a hole when he accused opposition leaders of wanting to “run for the hills” in case of a terrorist attack. Not only did David Shearer get to remind him of the occasions that he has been under fire – and run to help – but now some other voices have chimed in too.

Cross the floor

Written By: - Date published: 7:39 am, August 21st, 2013 - 29 comments

Check out crossthefloor.co.nz (#crossthefloor) for a resource to send email or tweets to a shortlist of government MPS who just might discover their conscience, cross the floor, and kill the spying bill…

When fear tactics backfire

Written By: - Date published: 2:47 pm, August 20th, 2013 - 93 comments

John Key’s fear tactics backfired badly when he tried to smear David Shearer…

GCSB- Questions?

Written By: - Date published: 2:31 pm, August 20th, 2013 - 58 comments

John Key has been twisting himself out of shape answering questions about spying on New Zelanders by the GCSB under the GCSB amendment Bill that is currently before the House. [Update] Video Qu One & Three [Update] Qu 1 transcript.

The voices of the GCSB protest

Written By: - Date published: 6:53 am, August 20th, 2013 - 66 comments

The Auckland Town Hall was full – nearly 2000 people – for the GCSB protest last night (with more people being turned away at the doors). Update – full video of the whole event (all speakers) is now up on YouTube. Meanwhile the Campbell Live poll had 89% of respondents opposed.

Be there – tonight

Written By: - Date published: 2:47 pm, August 19th, 2013 - 94 comments

Final reminder of the pro-privacy anti-spying meeting tonight. Also worth noting in this context is Alastair Thompson’s excellent open letter to Peter Dunne. Read it. Will Dunne be a hero?

Plans to “wiretap” the net

Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, August 19th, 2013 - 17 comments

The second of the weekend’s must-read pieces.  This one is by Vikram Kumar (CEO of Mega) published in the NBR, on plans to require internet service providers to install a “backdoor for the government”.

Be there

Written By: - Date published: 9:32 am, August 17th, 2013 - 17 comments

gcsb-poster2

Not how a democracy works

Written By: - Date published: 9:56 am, August 16th, 2013 - 34 comments

Key and his cronies have a long history of passing laws that give themselves sweeping powers and promising (honestly, truly) that they won’t use them. How many times has King Brownlee found himself in court for abusing his dictatorial powers, despite the ouster clauses in his enabling Act? Now, Key, says he won’t actually use the powers he’s getting the the GCSB Bill.

John Key – GCSB fool (or liar)

Written By: - Date published: 7:28 am, August 16th, 2013 - 142 comments

On Campbell Live, and on other occasions, John Key has claimed that critics of the GCSB spying bill were all wrong. The Human Rights Commission – wrong. The Law Society – wrong. The Privacy Commissioner – wrong. Dame Anne Salmond – wrong. Everyone else wrong – only he – John Key – and his secret advisors were right, and we the sheeple have nothing to fear.

Now in a stunning embarrassment it is Key that has had to admit that he was wrong. Or a liar.

Key vs Campbell: the transcript

Written By: - Date published: 1:22 pm, August 15th, 2013 - 272 comments

The interview of John Key by John Campbell last night on Campbell Live (on the GCSB Bill), showed what a formidable spin merchant Key can be.  It is important to understand Key’s MO.  This is a work in progress – transcript of the first 10.44 12.27 mins. completed.

Tech Liberty on GCSB Bill

Written By: - Date published: 7:19 am, August 15th, 2013 - 8 comments

Thomas Beagle at Tech Liberty has done a great job at presenting the technicalities of the Key-Dunne GCSB spying bill – see for example: “Does the new GCSB Bill give them the power to spy on New Zealanders?”. (Spoiler Alert! The answer is Yes.)

Dilbert on surveillance

Written By: - Date published: 1:10 pm, August 14th, 2013 - 3 comments

dilbert terrorist surveillance thumb

GCSB protest fundraiser success – in one day!

Written By: - Date published: 7:40 am, August 14th, 2013 - 13 comments

This Pledge Me fundraiser for protest action against the Key-Dunne GCSB spying Bill reached its target ($3,300) in just one day yesterday. It remains open for three more days – you can still donate to extend the range of the protest.

GCSB Bill vs snapper quota

Written By: - Date published: 11:57 am, August 13th, 2013 - 55 comments

gcsb-bill-snapper-quota

John Key – in contempt

Written By: - Date published: 8:30 pm, August 12th, 2013 - 71 comments

John Key shows contempt for New Zealanders and democracy in refusing to talk about the GCSB Bill and saying New Zealanders care more about snapper quotas. Campbell Live discovers some Kiwis are well informed and have views on the GCSB Bill.

Selling your privacy

Written By: - Date published: 4:07 pm, August 12th, 2013 - 16 comments

Good piece by David Fisher on selling your privacy. Don’t worry citizens consumers, it’s nothing personal. It’s just business.

This is/is not democracy

Written By: - Date published: 1:05 pm, August 12th, 2013 - 106 comments

The Nats’ PR-managed conference stifled democratic debate & bright ideas, and diverted from significant issues.  Armstrong attempts to talk it up, while exposing Key’s win-at-all-costs ruthlessness. Meanwhile: speakers announced for democratic meeting to Kill the GCSB Bill [Updated – Hagar also speaking]. [Update: Gordon Campbell – ‘Nanny National‘]

How times change

Written By: - Date published: 5:01 pm, August 10th, 2013 - 36 comments

nixon-resigned

Fill the Hall – Kill the Bill

Written By: - Date published: 7:35 pm, August 9th, 2013 - 51 comments

fill-the-hallNote also that Campbell Live/3 News is running a major poll on the Bill.

Key called again on bullying tactics

Written By: - Date published: 5:14 pm, August 9th, 2013 - 43 comments

John Key is a bully who uses the powers of his office inappropriately. Every now and then someone calls him on it – Mike Joy, Jon Stephenson, Andrea Vance and Bradley Ambrose being examples. Now it is the turn of Law Society member Rodney Harrison QC to stand up.

Hypocrisy in the House: GCSB Bill

Written By: - Date published: 10:11 am, August 7th, 2013 - 46 comments

The debates during last night’s filibuster if the GCSB amendment Bill exposed the hypocrisy of John Key, and hangers on Peter Dunne and John Banks: as seen in  the videos of the speeches by Goff, Cunliffe and Peters.

Chorus of opposition to Key-Dunne spying Bill continues

Written By: - Date published: 9:45 am, August 7th, 2013 - 15 comments

Yesterday Opposition parties filibustered, and successfully delayed the passage of the Key-Dunne spying Bill. This buys more time to protest, and to put pressure on MPs.

We have never before seen in New Zealand such a broad and ongoing chorus of opposition to government legislation as we are seeing with this Bill. Just yesterday alone…

Law Society – GCSB Bill still flawed

Written By: - Date published: 6:13 pm, August 6th, 2013 - 23 comments

A timely press release from the Law Society. The revisions to the GCSB Bill “do not address the fundamental flaws in the bill and the legislation should not proceed”. Peter Dunne, your last fig-leaf is ripped away. Please do not vote for this travesty.

Spying on another journalist – what did Key have to hide?

Written By: - Date published: 7:18 am, August 6th, 2013 - 78 comments

Now we learn that another Key enquiry spied on “teapot tape” reporter Bradley Ambrose. This government under John Key does not use its spying powers competently or appropriately. There is no guarantee that some future government will not be even worse. The Key-Dunne spying Bill should be rejected pending a proper enquiry and proper safeguards. Peter Dunne, please take note.

“The Big Issue”: councils & transport

Written By: - Date published: 10:57 am, August 5th, 2013 - 16 comments

Campbell Live last Wednesday focused on transport: funding & Auckland versus the regions; public transport & roads; the revolutionary Congestion Free Network plan.  City Vision (supported by Labour & the Green Party – with a major focus on transport) & 2 Future West candidates launch their Auckland council campaigns.

The brighter future

Written By: - Date published: 7:20 am, August 5th, 2013 - 151 comments

Welcome to John Key’s “Brighter Future”. Here are some headlines: “Violation speaks ill of our democracy”, “Chilling attacks on freedom”, “Govt betrayal on a monumental scale”, and many more…

Spying scandal forensics

Written By: - Date published: 10:46 am, August 4th, 2013 - 49 comments

National’s Friday afternoon document dump of emails between the Henry enquiry and Parliamentary Services is a trove of information. John Armstrong describes the whole mess as “Govt betrayal on a monumental scale”. For an initial forensic analysis of the evidence trail, check out Pete George.

Friday document dump

Written By: - Date published: 5:33 pm, August 2nd, 2013 - 63 comments

The government has tried a good old fashioned Friday Document Dump, releasing the email correspondence relating to Henry Inquiry. More incompetence and or lies are revealed, and Peter Dunne is pissed. No doubt we can expect the same levels of honesty and competence when the Key-Dunne spying bill extends the potential for spying to us all.

NRT: Look! More terrorists!

Written By: - Date published: 2:57 pm, August 2nd, 2013 - 14 comments

I/S at No Right Turn questions the legal status of Key’s “warrants”.

John Key’s big movie love

Written By: - Date published: 12:44 pm, August 2nd, 2013 - 10 comments

A recent  report claims there is little economic benefit from tax payer funding for big overseas movies. Key’s damaging love of big Hollywood corporates is seen in the complex of Hobbit laws, intellectual copyright, secret TPP negotiations, & the Kim Dotcom-GCSB-Vance saga.

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