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Tracking Journalists: The Parliament Security Form
Tracking Journalists: The Parliament Security Access Form
It was recently revealed that journalist Andrea Vance had security records of her movements in the Parliament complex released without her permission. They were given to David Henry's inquiry for the Prime Minister into the leaking of a report into the GCSB.
The matter has raised questions about the ability of journalists and MPs to perform their democratic functions in Parliament, and about the separation between the Parliamentary Service (which controls the operation of the Parliament buildings) and the executive (the Prime Minister and cabinet).
In the interests of settling at least one point of interest, Scoop's latest Press Gallery signup Hamish Cardwell requested a copy of the form he signed when obtaining his Parliament access card in May. The form, pictured below, concerns security and safety obligations and does not mention the collection or use of person information in any way.
The Henry inquiry also obtained details of MP and then Minister Peter Dunne's movements, with his permission and, without his permission, details of his email logs. Dunne resigned as a minister over his refusal to release some of the correspondence with Vance indicated by those logs.
Greens leader Russel Norman has laid a compaint with Ombudsmen over this release of an MP's email data to an inquiry by the Prime Minister’s department.
In a related matter, the collection of similar "metadata" (such as email logs or numbers and time of telephone calls) was involved in some of the cases highlighted in the leaked Kitteridge report as possible illegal spying. Then Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Paul Neazor later found the practise to be "arguably" legal under current law.
Mass collection of United States metadata was also revealed by recent leaks from the NSA.
Bills giving the GCSB extensive new powers are currently before Parliament. It was introduced following the agency's admittedly illegal spying on Kim Dotcom.
Form: Security
Within Parliament – Access Compliance Requirements And
Information
[Phone numbers and signature
redacted by Scoop]
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