The Green Party will restrict the activity of the national security apparatus and the intelligence community to that which best contributes to Aotearoa New Zealand’s wellbeing and domestic and international law and order. We will honour freedom of information while upholding privacy. We will regulate and monitor search and surveillance practices.
Vision
The national security apparatus and intelligence community provide a service that is in Aotearoa New Zealand’s best interests and promotes democracy, non-violence, and justice for all.
Values and Principles
Decisions relating to the national security apparatus and the intelligence community must uphold the following values and principles:
- Honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi: The national security apparatus and the intelligence community must not contravene the rights of tangata whenua affirmed by Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
- Ecological Wisdom: The national security apparatus should be aware of and appropriately responsive to the security threats inherent in a changing global climate system and other ecological systems.
- Social Responsibility: The rights of all New Zealanders should be respected. Exploitation and advantaging of any group at the expense of any other should be avoided.
- Appropriate Decision-Making: Aotearoa New Zealand should safeguard its political and economic autonomy and integrity, including the right to set its own standards, institute protections against abuse of power and privilege and reduce the potential for conflicts of interest in the exercise of authority.
- Non-Violence: The national security apparatus and the intelligence community should operate ethically and in accordance with international law, and actively work to avoid harm.
- Pacific leadership: Aotearoa New Zealand should work closely and take a leadership role with Pacific nations, and enhance collective security across the region.
Strategic Priorities
The Green Party’s strategic goals include:
“As a Party we strive to create a more connected, compassionate and equal Aotearoa, free from structural biases that discriminate against groups and individuals.
“All people will be empowered to shape the systems that affect them.”
Actions in this policy that will help achieve this include:
- Tighten the definition of security in the relevant intelligence legislation to include only 'espionage, sabotage and terrorism'. (1.1)
- Replace the Intelligence and Security Committee with a multi-party Select Committee, operating under Parliamentary Select Committee rules, so that Parliament can scrutinise the intelligence and security activities of the Government. (1.6)
- Review the Official Information Act 1982, to improve the public's access to official information that may enhance the common good and ensure that there are effective review mechanisms in place for those who do not receive the requested information. (2.2)
- Review controls on the sale of private information, the aggregation of information by private agencies, and the exchange of information between government agencies, to ensure consistency with the aims of the Privacy Act. (3.11)
- Review the Search and Surveillance Act, with the aim of making it more difficult for enforcement agencies to search without a Court-ordered warrant. (3.23)
Connected Policies
This policy is closely connected with our Democracy and Constitutional Transformation, Defence and Peacekeeping and Justice Policies.
