NZ First being sensible!

The Herald reports:

New Zealand First will support law changes allowing the GCSB to spy on Kiwis, giving the Government a comfortable majority on the controversial legislation.

That means either 69 or 72 votes in favour.

Prime Minister John Key last night briefed Mr Peters, Labour leader David Shearer, Green co-leader Russel Norman, United Future’s Peter Dunne and Act’s John Banks on his proposed amendments to the GCSB Act.

The major change will make it clear the GCSB can intercept New Zealanders’ communications when assisting other agencies including the SIS, police and Defence.

I’ve been waiting for someone to make a principled case that the GCSB should not be able to assist those other agencies, but am yet to see it.

That co-operation has occurred for many years but questions about its legality were publicly raised in Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Kitteridge’s GCSB report last week.

The key thing is any assistance must only be under conditions where a warrant has been signed off.

Here’s a question for Labour and the Greens. If they win office in 2014 – will they pledge to change the law to ban the GCSB from assisting the SIS, Police and Defence?