It's difficult to have an adequate discussion of sex offender legislation because anyone taking a critical stance risks being labeled as soft on sex crimes. The Child Protection (Child Sex Offender Register) Bill is a case in point. There has been little public debate even though Attorney-General Chris Finlayson says it offends our Bill of Rights.
By Keith Locke
“YOU SHOULDN’T WORRY IF YOU’VE GOT NOTHING TO HIDE” is one of the mantras trotted out when New Zealanders complain about the GCSB having access to their private communications.
Let’s turn that mantra around as ask those running the GCSB why the feel they have to hide from...
On 27 November I gave this "oral submission" to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee opposing the Countering Terrorist Fighters Bill, which was being rushed through Parliament with unseemly haste.
It’s a pleasure to be able to talk to members of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee again,
and...
WWI was a disastrous struggle for imperial power rather than a fight for freedom — and we must share blame
Read this article on the NZ Herald website
Over the next four years we will learn much about World War I and the suffering that went with it.
The war was a...
Read this article on the NZ Herald website
The Government may well have acted beyond the law in cancelling the passports of New Zealanders intending to join rebel groups fighting the Assad regime.
Under Section 18 of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, "Everyone has the right to leave New...
I was interviewed on Television New Zealand's Breakfast programme on 26 July on why I was opposed to the Government Communications Security Bureau Bill. You can watch it as:
http://tvnz.co.nz/breakfast-news/gcsb-protests-growing-video-5519462
On 3 July I travelled to Parliament to speak to the Intelligence and Security Committee to explain my written submission on the GCSB Bill (see below for the text). Quite a lot of people and journalists were present, although I must admit that Kim Dotcom (who spoke to the committee...
The following opinion piece from me was published in the New Zealand Herald on 10 June 2013.
It has now been established that the United States National Security Agency (NSA) has been systematically collecting the phone records of millions of Americans.
A relevant question for New Zealanders is whether the NSA...
Below is the text of an Opinion Piece I had published in Wellington's daily newspaper, the Dominion Post, on 3 May 2013.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/8627516/NZs-reputation-at-stake-over-summit-venue
NZ''S REPUTATION AT STAKE OVER SUMMIT VENUE
OPINION: Sri Lanka is not fit to host this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, writes Keith Locke.
The Government needs to explain...