Letter to the Editor: When is privacy not privacy?

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When we break the law, the police come calling.

When National does it, they just change the law.

That’s how it’s done in New Zealand, circa 21st Century…

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FROM: "f.macskasy"
SUBJECT: Letters to the editor
DATE: Thu, 08 May 2014 11:32:27 +1200
TO: Listener  <letters@listener.co.nz>

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The Editor
The Listner


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John Key’s government passed legislation last year which
now legalises GCSB spying on New Zealanders, albeit with a
“warrant” and with Prime Ministerial “over-sight”.
Key says we now have legal protection to protect our
privacy.

Of course, that did not stop the GCSB from breaking the old
law, and spying on eightyeight New Zealanders. That’s
despite the old law being quite specific in it’s
prohibition on domestic spying;

Section 14 of the original Government Communications
Security Bureau Act 2003 was quite specific

“Neither the Director, nor an employee of the Bureau, nor
a person acting on behalf of the Bureau may authorise or
take any action for the purpose of intercepting the
communications of a person (not being a foreign organisation
or a foreign person) who is a New Zealand citizen or a
permanent resident.”

Which made a mockery of John Key’s mis-leading assertion
on  9 April last year;

“In addition, the Act governing the GCSB is not fit for
purpose and probably never has been. It was not until this
review was undertaken that the extent of this inadequacy was
known…”

Law-breaking and lies – the hallmark of National’s
behaviour on this issue.

But the supreme irony here?

John Key has allowed the GCSB to spy on New Zealanders or to
receive data on New Zealanders gathered by overseas spy
agencies - thereby circumventing the amended law.

But health-service providers are not allowed to share
information with family members, where necessary, because of
“privacy concerns”.

Monty Python couldn’t have scripted this farce any better.

-Frank Macskasy
[name & phone number supplied]

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References

Radio NZ: Hear more of Ian Fletcher on Morning Report  (audio)

Dominion Post:   Spy boss denies mass surveillance

John Key.co.nz: PM releases report into GCSB compliance

Legislation.co.nz: Government Communications Security Bureau Act 2003

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Above image acknowledgment: Francis Owen/Lurch Left Memes

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= fs =