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‘]
Written By: - Date published: 7:35 pm, August 9th, 2013 - 51 comments
Note also that Campbell Live/3 News is running a major poll on the Bill.
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.
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…
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.
Written By: - Date published: 12:22 pm, August 6th, 2013 - 37 comments
The GCSB bill is due to be debated in Parliament this afternoon. It appears that the Government will have the numbers to pass the Bill but what will be of interest will be the linguistic somersaults Key will engage in to show why he should be allowed to strongly defend his own rights of privacy but trash Andrea Vance’s rights and Dunne will engage in to show that there is a principle at stake when he protects his rights of privacy but there is no need to protect our rights of privacy if the price is right.
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.
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…
Written By: - Date published: 8:12 am, August 3rd, 2013 - 83 comments
In the latest episode of Kim Dotcom inspired craziness it appears that Parliamentary Services collated and sent Peter Dunne’s emails to David Henry clearly without Dunne’s permission. Dunne and Andrea Vance are understandably apopletic about this. Because this sort of stuff only happens in banana republics …
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.
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”.
Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, August 2nd, 2013 - 55 comments
John Key is getting into the habit of trashing important constitutional principles. The freedom of the press, the independence of Parliamentary Services and the principle that even the Prime Minister is subject to Parliament and the Privileges Committee have all been attacked recently. What next?
Written By: - Date published: 7:16 am, August 2nd, 2013 - 31 comments
Presumably there is some tiny but “real” risk of terrorist action in NZ. But it doesn’t justify the broad powers of the Key-Dunne spying Bill. Recent experience and the government’s own protocols show that these spying powers will be used on activists and journalists that the government of the day doesn’t like. The 88 who have been illegally spied on already call bullshit.
Written By: - Date published: 11:24 am, August 1st, 2013 - 72 comments
Here’s today’s required reading (so far) in the ongoing spy scandals that are swirling around John Key and his fiasco of a government. Hey Peter Dunne, are you really going to vote for more GCSB spying? Really?
Written By: - Date published: 8:43 am, July 31st, 2013 - 98 comments
The Andrea Vance telephone record debacle is extraordinarily badly timed for the Government. At a time when they are trying to give to the GCSB huge powers to spy on all of us this particular incident shows us what is at stake. It has incensed the fourth estate. Key’s relationship with the press will never be the same.
Written By: - Date published: 11:27 am, July 30th, 2013 - 44 comments
Written By: - Date published: 10:32 am, July 29th, 2013 - 28 comments
One of the many criticisms of John Key’s spying Bill is that it isn’t needed. Well rest easy citizens consumers, because PM Key has laid those fears to rest. Here he is, in his own words, explaining why this violation of our basic human rights is absolutely necessary.
Written By: - Date published: 8:03 am, July 29th, 2013 - 14 comments
On Thursday last week hundreds attended a public meeting in Mt Albert, and on Saturday thousands of people marched in 11 centers all round NZ to protest against John Key’s spying Bill. Key’s response? They are either “politically aligned” or “misinformed”. Like the Law Society and the Human Rights Commission, no doubt.
Written By: - Date published: 7:33 pm, July 27th, 2013 - 49 comments
Some photos from today’s Auckland protest. It was a great occasion. The question needs to be though, where to from here? This momentum needs to be built on.
Written By: - Date published: 8:47 am, July 27th, 2013 - 132 comments
This cartoon by Mark O’Brien at monsta.co.nz probably accurately reflects the distasteful uncertainty that many of us feel about the purpose and intent of John Key’s bill to control the past and future excesses of the GCSB. Put away a bit of your weekend at 2pm and come and show your MP’s why they should […]
Written By: - Date published: 10:21 am, July 26th, 2013 - 123 comments
The stop the GCSB Bill meeting in Auckland last night was well attended and had a series of high quality presentations made. A series of protests are planned for this weekend. Momentum is building …
Written By: - Date published: 7:31 am, July 26th, 2013 - 104 comments
The public trusts Kim Dotcom more than John Key (no surprise), and Journalist Selwyn Manning describes “some breaking news from Dotcom” on what Key knew, and when…
Written By: - Date published: 9:35 am, July 24th, 2013 - 145 comments
To say that the GCSB law changes are misguided is the kindest possible interpretation, but many people including myself tend to view them as being quite malevolent. They aren’t going to provide any more security for citizens and residents here. But they are going to provide more security for incompetents in the security and police forces from both public and legal scrutiny. There are series of protests planned, and one in Auckland tomorrow. Updated – packed.
Written By: - Date published: 7:11 am, July 24th, 2013 - 112 comments
Peter Dunne said that the GCSB should not spy on New Zealanders “under any circumstances”, but he will now vote to let that happen. He has made himself a liar and a hypocrite. Why? 3 News and others speculate on what Dunne might have got in return. What was his price?
Written By: - Date published: 8:57 am, July 23rd, 2013 - 90 comments
I was hoping that Peter Dunne was going to make a stand on Kiwi’s rights of privacy. Looks like I was wrong …
Written By: - Date published: 4:11 pm, July 22nd, 2013 - 62 comments
Predictably, Peter Dunne has caved. Vance and Small with the details.
Written By: - Date published: 7:01 am, July 18th, 2013 - 27 comments
Peter Dunne may be the best chance that we have of defeating the GCSB amending legislation. He has said that there is a principle at stake in that his rights of privacy have been breached and I believe that he is right. Time to seek his support?
Written By: - Date published: 3:39 pm, July 16th, 2013 - 15 comments
No Right Turn points out how useless our security minister is. To say this is astonishing would be an understatement John Key’s chief justification for his spy law giving the GCSB the right to spy on all New Zealanders is cost: it would apparently cost too much for the police or SIS to be given […]
Written By: - Date published: 8:32 am, July 15th, 2013 - 17 comments
There have been strong and compelling criticisms of the Nats’ spying Bill, similar to the situation that occurred under the previous government with electoral finance. But the responses of the two governments are very different – and very revealing. Where Labour revised its errant Bill to address the criticisms, John Key has threatened the HRC with funding cuts. Predictably, the response of The Herald to the two cases has been very different too…
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