13 August 2024

The gradual dismantling of the national security and safety framework by the Lead Coordination Minister Hon Judith Collins, is exposing NZ to further copycat acts of terror, like the one we have sadly seen today in Turkey said Abdur Razzaq, FIANZ spokesperson. It is simply not a case of the Lead Coordination Minister Hon Judith Collins cancelling some of the Recommendations, but the practical reality is that she is dismantling much of the excellent work done by national security agencies like the NZSIS, NZ Police and the DPMC. She is undoing three years of consultation and international best practice in the prevention of violent extremism and terrorism which NZ had developed, and in the process made NZ more prone to acts of terrorism like that suffered on March 15. Last time it was the Muslim community, in the future it could be other ethnic/faith communities or vulnerable groups. With the increasing conflation of issues, we are also susceptible to non- ideological terrorism.

In a report FIANZ shall be releasing shortly, evidence is provided that a key strategy which has worked overseas in preventing terrorism, and which would also work in NZ, is developing public awareness of the need to report to the authorities any suspicious activities. The use of a drone to scope out Masjid An Nur in Christchurch, practicing mass shooting skills on a gun range with semi- automatics, receiving treatment in hospital for a gun related wound, amassing an arsenal of weapons in the boot of a car, constant watching and monitoring of the Muslim childcare centre and other such actions undertaken by the March 15 terrorist may have been reported if NZ had a system similar to the ‘See Something Say Something’ programme which most countries now have.

The NZSIS, after extensive consultation, developed an excellent NZ-specific awareness programme and the NZ Police were going to capture and process all such reports by the public. A business case with detailed scope was developed and a significant budget had already been allocated for the implementation. The Lead Minister withdrew the already allocated budget and claimed the Police could still manage the process on a ‘Business as Usual’ basis. We have confirmed that the NZ Police do not have the resources to manage this specialised reporting. As such, we now have the public being made aware but no resources to ensure that the public reporting is processed.

This is simply an absurd situation and no verbal gymnastics by the Lead Minister will mitigate the risk. We ask - will the Minister give a guarantee that every report will be processed in time to prevent another such act of terrorism like March 15? The funding for this, which was already allocated and which the Minister has now taken away from NZ Police, would have at least provided some security

We ask the Lead Minister, what written assurances has she received from the NZ Police, that the public reporting scope to prevent terrorism can still be managed from existing resources? The Royal Commission Recommendations 12 and 13 are interlinked. The Lead Minister, without any consultation or any reference to expert advice, has scrapped Recommendation 12, which leaves Recommendation 13 almost redundant.

We hope that the Prime Minister undertakes a rapid review of this situation, before NZ experiences yet another act of terrorism which could have been prevented. At a time of fiscal prudence, national security and safety should be seen as an essential investment and agencies like the NZ Police, DPMC, NZSIS, DIA, MBIE and MFAT should be strengthened with additional resources for this purpose. Putting aside the terrible human tragedy of 51 shuhada, the March 15 act of terrorism has so far cost our country over $528milllion. The Lead Minister needs to consult widely before making such rushed decisions on the basis of short term bookkeeping.

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