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Spying law set to renew debate over New Zealand intelligence agencies

Xinhua, August 15, 2016 Adjust font size:

The New Zealand government on Monday tabled legislation that would give the country's intelligence agencies a mandate to spy on New Zealanders in order to protect "national security."

Prime Minister John Key said the New Zealand Intelligence and Security Bill 2016 was the most significant reform of the intelligence and security agencies in history and would improve transparency.

"We have an obligation to ensure New Zealanders are safe at home and abroad," Key said in a statement.

"Therefore it is vital our agencies operate under legislation which enables them to be effective in an increasingly complex security environment, where we are confronted by growing numbers of cyber threats and the rise of terrorist groups such as ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant)."

The legislation created a single Act to cover both the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS), which is responsible for internal security, and the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), which undertakes electronic spying.

It enabled more effective cooperation between the two agencies and introduced a new framework for approving intelligence collection regarding New Zealanders, said Key.

The main opposition Labour Party said it would support the bill in its initial stage, but it would seek a nationwide debate during Parliamentary select committee scrutiny to address concerns.

"The definition of 'national security' must be amended at select committee following a national debate. At present, the definition is too broad and must be narrowed down to actual threats to security and government," Labour Party leader Andrew Little said in a statement.

It was also concerning that the legislation appeared to have ignored protections for personal information, he said.

The bill was the government's response to an independent review of the GCSB and the NZSIS presented to parliament in March.

The review followed accusations of illegal spying and politicization of the intelligence services that began when the GCSB was found to have illegally spied on more than 80 New Zealand residents and citizens before 2012. Endit