I’ve long been trying to find out what New Zealand has signed up to under the UKUSA electronic spying agreement. It has been a somewhat Kafkaesque exercise because the government wouldn’t directly admit the existence of the agreement, or whether New Zealand had signed up.
While I welcome the news that SIS files on sitting MPs have been closed the bar has still been set too low for putting opposition MPs under surveillance. According to Paul Neazor, Inspector General of Intelligence and Security, the test should be whether the Member ‘is suspected of undertaking activities detrimental to security.’
I was pleased to be able to speak at the Auckland celebration of Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi's 65th birthday. It was one of many taking place around the world.
As a 1981 anti-tour protester I welcome next year’s visit by some of the 1981 Springbok squad. Captain Wynand Claassen is in make-amends mode. He Read More
Watching Hillary Clinton on the box talking about Gaza I had an eerie feeling. Hadn’t I heard the same words from Murray McCully. They seemed Read More
Many moons ago Barack Obama confronted a warmongering President, George W Bush, saying he would be willing to sit down and talk to the Iranian leaders.
New Zealand shouldn't stay silent as Thailand descends into chaos and potentially a bloodbath. We should be backing the Red Shirts' call for UN mediation.
On Friday I put out a press statement welcoming the apology from the NZ Rugby Football Union over the exclusion of Maori from the 1928, 1949 and 1960 teams sent to South Africa.