Adams Amy: Intelligence and Security Committee — MembershipText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeAdams Amy: Intelligence and Security Committee — Membership[Sitting date: 18 February 2015. Volume:703;Page:1707. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon AMY ADAMS (Minister of Justice) on behalf of theLeader of the House: I move That under section 8 of the Intelligence and Security Committee Act 1996 this House endorse the following as members of the Intelligence and Security Committee: Hon Christopher Finlayson and Hon Amy Adams nominated by the Prime Minister under section 7(1)(c) of the Act; and David Shearer nominated by the Leader of the Opposition under section 7(1)(d) of the Act.I also moveThat(a) the Intelligence and Security Committee will examine the Estimates Vote for each intelligence and security agency (Standing Orders 247 248 249 and 338 are to be read and applied accordingly)(b) the Intelligence and Security Committee will examine the Supplementary Estimates for each intelligence and security agency (Standing Orders 247 248 249 and 341 are to be read and applied accordingly)(c) the Intelligence and Security Committee will conduct an annual review of the performance in the previous financial year and the current operations of each intelligence and security agency (Standing Orders 247 248 249 344 and 345 are to be read and applied accordingly)(d) no select committee can examine an intelligence and security agency(e) a bill or other matter relating to an intelligence and security agency may be referred by the House to the Intelligence and Security Committee (Standing Orders 247 248 249 250 251 276 277 278 279 288 289 291 295 296 298 299 and 300 are to be read and applied accordingly)(f) the Clerk will allocate any petition relating to an intelligence and security agency to the Intelligence and Security Committee (Standing Order 370)(g) for the purposes of this order—intelligence and security agency means the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service or the Government Communications Security Bureau; andIntelligence and Security Committee means the Intelligence and Security Committee established by section 5 of the Intelligence and Security Committee Act 1996.I am honoured to take the first call in the parliamentary debate on the formation of the Intelligence and Security Committee. The Intelligence and Security Committee is an important part of the oversight mechanisms of the intelligence and security agencies the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service and the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB). The committee provides scrutiny on behalf of this House of the agencies’ policies administration and expenditure.The committee plays a fundamental role in our democracy. It is a watchdog and a safeguard and a necessary and fundamental oversight to provide New Zealanders with the trust and confidence they expect from our intelligence and security agencies. These agencies exist because we live in a world of growing threats of international terrorism human trafficking and cyber-security. These are very real threats and we as a country are not immune. We need to safeguard against these threats. Security and intelligence play an important role in protecting New Zealanders both here and abroad against those perils.The committee’s governing legislation recognises the need for balance between transparency and secrecy in overseeing the agencies’ activities—transparency to enhance the confidence of Parliament and the public that the agencies are properly accountable and operating strictly in accordance with the law; and secrecy so that the sensitive work of the agencies can be adequately reviewed. The transparency side of this balance was enhanced by measures Parliament agreed to in its review of 2013. The committee now carries out its annual financial reviews of the agencies in public session and that will be one of the first duties in the coming weeks. I am sure that the committee will build on the good work that was done during the first public review in December 2013.The committee consults with the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security who has an important independent oversight role on her annual report. The committee is also now required to present an annual report on its activities to Parliament. At the same time the Government recognises that the need for secrecy remains when reviewing the work of the agencies to ensure that they are able to carry out that work effectively. During this Parliament the committee will have important roles in the review of the intelligence and security agencies the legislation governing them and their oversight legislation which will begin in coming months.In my role as Acting Attorney-General I will be consulting the committee on the terms of reference for that review and on the appointments of the two people who will carry out the review. The reviewers will report their results to the committee for its consideration and if as is likely there are changes to legislation arising from the review Parliament can be expected to refer the bill for the committee’s consideration. I reiterate that in this context the Government remains committed to a thorough public consultation process on any proposed changes.The Government considers that the whole oversight framework for the New Zealand SIS and the GCSB is substantially stronger and more effective than it was 3 years ago. The key pillars of this framework are represented by the Intelligence and Security Committee the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security and the Commissioner of Security Warrants. All three are important in building confidence in Parliament and amongst the general public.The Intelligence and Security Committee works on some of the most critical issues facing New Zealand. It is essential to have members with the right skills understanding and experience to contribute constructively to the committee’s work who understand the criticality of the decisions to be made who are committed to moving beyond posturing and point-scoring and who will participate in a meaningful way. The committee’s role is to scrutinise our intelligence agencies and to provide a platform for informed political discourse.I am confident that the proposed membership of the committee will provide the balance of expertise skills and constructive debate necessary to make the committee an effective part of protecting the core foundations of New Zealand society as we grapple with some of the most complex issues facing this country and without looking to use the committee to advance personal agendas.Every member comes to this House because we are passionate about this country and we are passionate about making a difference. We live here we raise our families here and we care deeply about the rights of New Zealanders and their safety. Every one of us is motivated to ensure we have an accountable and robust system and I am confident that the Intelligence and Security Committee will deliver exactly that.