Prime Minister John Key during his post-Cabinet press conference at the Beehive. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Changes to legislation this week allowing legal spying on New Zealanders will clarify what has already taken place, says John Key.
The Prime Minister yesterday released draft legislation overhauling intelligence agency, the Government Communications and Security Bureau (GCSB), to carry out spying on residents in certain situations on behalf of
the police, the Defence Force and the Security Intelligence Service.
The Prime Minister told TV3's Firstline today the changes would legalise existing processes carried out which were believed to be legally correct.
"What we're effectively doing in law is clarifying what has taken place for well over the last decade in terms of agency support GCSB provides the SIS (Security Intelligence Service), Defence and police," he said.
The GCSB has been under scrutiny after it was revealed to have illegally spied on internet tycoon Kim Dotcom and the discovery last year the GCSB may have illegally spied on 88 New Zealanders since 2003.
