Browning Steffan: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
Text is subject to correction 
Browning Steffan: Estimates Debate — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 01 August 2012. Volume:682;Page:4175. Text is subject to correction.] 
STEFFAN BROWNING (Green) 
: 
 The Greens are very very concerned that the SIS effectively and also for that matter the Government Communications Security Bureau both go without decent surveillance themselves. They have got in combination fluctuating budgets and we have no idea what that fluctuation represents. 
 I will start with for example 2007 and 2008—there was expenditure of $73 million between those two agencies. The next year it was $80 million the next year it was $97 million and from 2010 to 2011 it was $110 million. Last year it was $98.5 million and in this one we have got $100 million—the highest ever. You have to wonder why that is being spent. Is that being spent to beef up Mr Key’s security or something? They then assume in 2013-14 they can go down to $94 million and then $72 million respectively. But we have no idea what that is actually being spent on. Anything else that comes through this Committee we can pull apart—there may be some small amounts that we cannot actually get to grips with—but with these two agencies we have effectively nothing. So I do wonder what Mr Key and his spy friends his close friends his schoolmate friends who are now heading the spy agencies are doing with their extra millions. It would be really good if the Prime Minister could come here and actually explain a little bit of what he is doing with his millions.  
How many millions are actually coming from the US or the UK towards their agencies that we spy so much for? I am thinking in particular of Waihopai with the Echelon system that connects in with the spying agencies of New Zealand. How much is the New Zealand taxpayer the sole contributor instead of the USA and UK communication dredge? How much is spent on domestic surveillance with the SIS? I would think in case others in the Chamber do not realise that the Government Communications Security Bureau and the SIS are very closely linked and so any discussion that verges back from one agency to the other is totally on board.  
How much is spent on international surveillance? How much is spent when they are repairing the domes? How much is spent as I said before on the Prime Minister’s surveillance on his bodyguards or this that and the other? There is a lot of crossover of agencies here but we cannot get down to it. How much is on capital expenditure and how much is on those people who are actually dedicated to peace and justice in New Zealand? How much is being spent on surveilling them? How much was spent by the SIS working with the police on the Urewera raid material?  
Hon Member 
: This year? 
STEFFAN BROWNING 
: This year? How much in any year—that is the relevant part of this. We cannot drill down in this because it is woefully inadequate and it should not be presented in such a woefully inadequate way. I wonder with the Government Communications Security Bureau bit how much was covered by insurance when the dome got ruptured by those who were dedicated to peace and justice. How much is spent on staff; how much on capital expenditure?  
Regardless of barracking in this Chamber by those who seem to find it quite acceptable that people including past members of Parliament have been spied on by our agencies when do we actually get to find out what spies are carrying in their bags—whether it is a  
Playboy 
 and a pie or something of that nature? We are getting nothing that shows what they actually do in substance for our taxpayers.