We know now that the Army spied on a New Zealand journalist while trying to find his sources exposing actions the Army wanted kept quiet. They got their spy data from the Yanks. We also know that Key’s man tried to get Andrea Vance’s phone records for his inquiry into the GCSB report leak (he failed on that but did get her swipe card records)
Key’s new spying law will mean our own spooks can legally spy Kiwi journos. Experience shows it will happen. Time for that ‘democracy under attack’ Herald campaign. Time for journos to start taking this seriously.
Time for Dunne, who called the Army’s spying on Stephenson “appalling and unacceptable” to reconsider being a ‘willing seller’ of our liberty and privacy.
In a democracy, we don’t give the State powers that it doesn’t need and/or that are open to abuse. We don’t create a turn-key totalitarian state just because it’s ‘convenient for the spies’.
Yeah, John Key might not instigate a programme of spying on and attacking journos who are critical of him to stifle free and democratic discourse (although, he was the fucker who ordered police to raid media outlets on the eve of an election). And Shearer or any other future PM might not do it either just because Key’s given them the power.
But that’s the thing about creating a turn-key totalitarian state and just assuming that no leader will ever turn the key – when it happens, it’s too late.
For more ‘mis-informed’ commentary on these latest revelations I recommend Geddis and Danyl. And if you do think mainstream journos are taking this seriously, here’s Rachel Smalley making a braindead ‘nothing to hide, nothing to fear’ argument about her own privacy
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