Petitioners Call for Inquiry

Media Info
29th November 2004

The following letter has been sent to the Prime Minister by David Small and Leigh Cookson on behalf of 17 organizations calling for a full and independent judicial review of the operations of the SIS.

SIS Inquiry Petitioners
Box 1905
Christchurch

Rt Hon Helen Clark
The Prime Minister
Parliament Buildings
Wellington

26 November 2004

Dear Prime Minister,

We are writing on behalf of the undersigned Christchurch and national organizations to urge you to authorize a full independent judicial review of the operations of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service.

The recent revelations about SIS surveillance of the Maori Party and Maori organisations are consistent with a long and disturbing list of incidents involving the SIS that give the distinct impression that the Service is working to a political agenda that is inconsistent with its statutory obligations and unacceptable to the vast majority of New Zealanders.

These incidents include operations targeting the anti-Apartheid movement around the time of the 1981 Springbok tour, activities at the time of the 1996 APEC Trade Ministers' meeting in Christchurch which the courts ruled to be illegal, and a host of actions in relation to Ahmed Zaoui such as the clandestine recording of interviews, alleged loss of the tapes of those interviews, the preposterous interpretations of Mr Zaoui's holiday videos, and the presentation of patently unreliable sources of information to the Refugee Status Appeals Authority.

Given the role and widespread powers of agencies like the SIS, it is crucial that they are subject to rigorous control and oversight. This has become even more pressing in light of the powers and resourcing of the SIS being increased in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. Submitters to the Select Committees processing this legislation have consistently expressed concerns about legitimate political activity being subject to SIS attention, and have been given constant assurances that this would not happen. But the evidence available to the public indicates that the SIS is continuing to monitor legitimate activities of New Zealanders.

We believe that nothing short of a full independent judicial inquiry into the SIS is acceptable. To restore public credibility, the inquiry cannot be conducted by the established oversight mechanisms.

It cannot be conducted by the Intelligence and Security Committee because much of the SIS's apparently unacceptable activity has occurred under the watch of that committee. And, irrespective of the standing of the current Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, that office has proved completely ineffectual in fulfilling its statutory purpose of providing the New Zealand public with a means of holding the SIS accountable for its actions.

We trust you recognize the gravity of the issues at stake in this matter, and expect you will see the wisdom in our call for a public inquiry.

Yours sincerely,

David Small
Leigh Cookson

On behalf of the following groups:
ABC - Anti-Bases Coalition
ARENA - Action, Research & Education Network of Aotearoa
The Association of University Staff
CAFCA - Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa
The Canterbury Council for Civil Liberties
CCANZ - Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV)
The Christchurch College of Education Students' Association
Christian World Service
GATT Watchdog
New Zealand Nuclear Free Peacemaking Association
New Zealand University Students Association
The Peace Foundation
Peace Movement Aotearoa
Quaker Peace and Service
Southern Regional Secretary, Service and Food Workers Union
Student Christian Movement
The Peace Foundation Disarmament and Security Centre