Coleman Jonathan: Government Communications Security Bureau and Related Legislation Amendment Bill — Referral to Government Administration Committee In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeColeman Jonathan: Government Communications Security Bureau and Related Legislation Amendment Bill — Referral to Government Administration Committee In Committee[Sitting date: 06 August 2013. Volume:692;Page:12356. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Defence):We have just had two appalling speeches—one from a member who should know much much better and I believe does and one from a member who has absolutely no idea. What I can say is that proper oversight begins with a clear and consistent statutory framework and that is what this Government Communications Security Bureau and Related Legislation Amendment Bill provides for this House and for the public of New Zealand.I know that Grant Robertson for political purposes has deliberately been very cute with the facts. He knows—and if he picked up the phone to New York his ex-leader and mentor would tell him—that there is an absolute need for this legislation. Grant Robertson and Phil Goff both know what the threats are out there. This is a dangerous world that we are a part of and there is an absolute need for the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) to protect New Zealanders when they travel abroad to protect New Zealand interests and basically to make this a safer place.Grant Robertson: Nobody’s denying that Jonathan.Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Grant Robertson now says: “Nobody’s denying that.” In actual fact he got up and denied that. What he said which was totally incorrect is that this bill widens the powers of the GCSB and that it allows the GCSB to spy on New Zealanders. That is not correct. It is totally untrue. What this bill does is that it actually narrows the powers of the GCSB. [Interruption ] They know it but they do not want the public to understand the truth.If you look at those 88 cases over the last 10 years where the GCSB has had to spy on New Zealanders they have been cases where New Zealanders have unfortunately been involved in or associated with terrorism with research into weapons of mass destruction with people-smuggling and with drug dealing. We are not talking about spying on Grant Robertson and his mates at the Wellington Central Labour Party. We are not talking about spying on the people whom Grant Robertson has been stirring up into a fever over this bill. We are talking about people who constitute a very serious threat to the security of New Zealanders. And if you look at every major terrorist event going back to 9/11 New Zealanders have in some way been affected by them. So Grant Robertson and his cronies on that side of the Chamber need to start telling the truth about this bill rather than playing politics.The Greens on the other hand—well what would you expect? That was classic Russel Norman. He wants the GCSB to have just an external focus. Well I have just explained why theGCSB’s powers need to be very much focused on the welfare of New Zealanders and keeping us safe. He talked about removing the purpose point aboutthe economic welfare of New Zealand. Well as you should know as a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee with the threats that New Zealand businesses and that Government departments are under on a daily basis through cyber-intrusions there is an absolute need for this legislation.What really is ironic when you listen to the Labour Party is that what we are doing here is tidying up the flawed legislation of 2003. I urge all Labour members to read Helen Clark’s interview yesterday with Audrey Young because that spells out very clearly why this legislation is necessary. Helen Clark is not speaking against this and I think she would actually be ashamed of the members over there.The other point that they go on to make quite misleadingly is that they say that this bill has not gone through the proper process. Well what other country in the world would you have someone like Kim Dotcom able to sit down at the statutory committee and harangue the Prime Minister? That is how open we have been about it. There have been 123 submissions on this bill. They have all been read and considered. There was a normal length of time for consultation on this bill at the statutory committee. The Prime Minister fronted the committee. It has been a very open and clear process. New Zealanders have had their chance to have their say and there has been feedback which has been incorporated into this bill in order to make it in terms of the oversight much better in the long term.So I say to anyone listening out there: do not be fooled by the rhetoric of Labour and the Greens because what it comes down to is that this was flawed original 2003 legislation which had to be corrected. The GCSB is absolutely needed. Its powers have been narrowed. It needs warrants to work for the New Zealand Defence Force for the SIS—