Statement From Hone Harawira And Laila Harré

The Prime Minister has used his security access to further own political interests, demonstrating he is unfit to hold the office.

First, we strongly condemn the use by the Prime Minister of the term “henchman” to describe a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has come to New Zealand as part of his mission to provide information on global mass surveillance, and New Zealand’s participation therein.

Second, it is important to note that as a result of Glenn Greenwald’s statements on TV3 this morning, we have learned for the first time about a “mass protection” programme which, by the Prime Minister’s own admission, involved proposals for the mass surveillance of the New Zealand populace.

Last, the reported intention of the Prime Minister to arrange the selective declassification and release of documents for his own political purposes represents an abuse of the Prime Minister’s authority in his capacity as the Minister in charge of the GCSB and the SIS.

That this programme was never acknowledged by Prime Minister at any stage during intense debate in 2013 on this very issue is a cause for alarm. The Prime Minister has previously withheld this information from the public arena.

If the purpose of classification is to protect our national interests, then what has changed today? Either these documents should have been previously released or they have been withheld to suit the Prime Ministers personal political agenda.

This is a total abuse of both security classification and public information release processes.

Political access to, and use of, classified material was one of the specific fears raised when the new spy bill was debated.

For this government to selectively declassify these documents is, however, consistent with the practices outlined in Nicky Hager’s book Dirty Politics, for which the Prime Minister and his Office are already under investigation by the Inspector General of Intelligence and Security.

This confirms the urgent need for a full and independent Royal Commission of Inquiry into all the allegations of systemic abuse of power within the Key Government.

ENDS

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