Why we must oppose the Foreign Interference Legislation
Why we must oppose the Foreign Interference Legislation
By Maire Leadbeater Author of The Enemy Within In the draft “Crimes (Countering Foreign Interference) Amendment Bill” it is proposed to criminalise improper conduct for or on behalf of …
This legislation is all about forcing a U.S. centric foreign policy on New Zealand, making it illegal to sympathise with anything other than the BBC or CNN official narrative. They will start harassing people at the airports and it will continue to get worse. Support for Palestine and Donbass are the targets here, but in the future SIS will go full McCarthyism over China. Once the government bans foreign media outlets, the next logical step is to ban anyone who operates independently as a journalist or activist, then the only views you will hear will be Israeli, Ukrainian or Taiwanese. Free speech, but only if you support the U.S. narrative. I look forward to battling SIS and defending free speech.
This offence criminalises the act of “foreign interference”. To commit the offence, a person must be doing an activity for a foreign state, and the person’s actions must include all three of the following key elements – they:
know, or ought to know, they are acting for a foreign state, and act in a covert, deceptive, coercive, or corruptive manner, and intend to, or be aware that they are likely to, harm New Zealand interests specified in the offence through their actions.This doesn't really back up the claims you make in the body text, and this is the source you've provided to back yourself up.
First, factual reporting isn't acting for a foreign state, unless they're paying you a salary.
Second, there isn't anything deceptive about reading, writing or sharing news articles.
Third, I struggle to see how this would harm NZ interests.
This is all very tinfoil hat, in my view.
Reminds me of the 2015 film "The 5th Eye"
From imdb:
A priest, a teacher and a farmer breach the security of a NZ spy base in Waihopai and deflate a satellite dish dome to draw attention to NZ co-operation with illegal US wars. The extent and implications of mass government surveillance.
See the trailer at NZ On Screen.
I met Sam Land right after he did it. I was 17 at the time. I actually went more toward the right as I aged. But I still follow some left wing newsletters.
I just read the attached link, not the bill. But this looks every easy to abuse.
No doubt it will be abused, but I will find ways around it. Receiving news from state-sponsored media isn't interference - I actively subscribe to it. A lot of Chinese people watch satellite channels, and I don't think the government is going to start jamming them any time soon. State media gives people the knowledge of what those governments think, and people can act on that information independently.
I dare someone to repost this on reddit. You'll be looking at a permanent suspension from the NZ group!