Accommodation for GCSB employees
Bill made this Official Information request to Government Communications Security Bureau
The request was successful.
From: Bill
Dear Government Communications Security Bureau,
Are GCSB employees provided with accommodation or accommodation supplements during their employment with the agency?
Yours faithfully,
Bill
From: Bill
Government Communications Security Bureau,
The response to this request has been delayed. By law, you should normally have responded promptly and by November 14, 2016. No extension was requested and the request was overdue some days before your building was damaged by an earthquake and evacuated.
Please respond outlining the reason or reasons why the deadline was not met.
faithfully,
Bill
From: Information
Government Communications Security Bureau
Dear Bill,
Thank you for your email.
Unfortunately the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) has no record of receiving your request.
Please forward a copy of your original request to GCSB at [email address] and it will be responded to in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982 from the date it is received.
Kind regards,
Government Communications Security Bureau
www.gcsb.govt.nz
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill [mailto:[FYI request #4771 email]]
Sent: Friday, 18 November 2016 8:02 a.m.
To: Information
Subject: Re: Official Information request - Accommodation for GCSB employees
Government Communications Security Bureau,
The response to this request has been delayed. By law, you should normally have responded promptly and by November 14, 2016. No extension was requested and the request was overdue some days before your building was damaged by an earthquake and evacuated.
Please respond outlining the reason or reasons why the deadline was not met.
faithfully,
Bill
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From: Bill
Dear GCSB,
I find your response that "Unfortunately the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) has no record of receiving your request" highly curious if not deeply suspect. Is is and has been available for all interested parties to view on fyi.org.nz for months.
But, again, for the record, my original response dated 16 October, 2016, stated:
"Are GCSB employees provided with accommodation or accommodation supplements during their employment with the agency?"
Clearly some context is in order.
In 2013, a very senior member of the GCSB, who was on paid leave during an employment dispute with your agency, invited a Muslim family - for upwards of a month - to take over an apartment that contained much sensitive information, including evidence that your agency continued to monitor New Zealand residents (people other than those befriended and invited into that apartment), and using tools available to your agencies that are now well know. This happened at a time when assurances by the Government that spying on residents and New Zealand citizens had ceased following the Dotcom fiasco. I.e., it was an admission of illegality. And a casual one, at that - suggesting that your continued intrusions were quite routine.
The apartment in question, above the "So You" hair salon on Tinakori Road, just happened to be directly across the road from the workplace of the (Muslim) New Zealand citizens invited to take the apartment over. The documents contained definite statements that directly contradicted said public assurances by your agencies, and by former Prime Minister John Key, that such illegal surveillance was not taking place.
That the GCSB were paying directly or indirectly playing for that employees accommodation is significant in this context, and needs to be addressed by you - honestly, and in good faith.
It is a shame that you were not able to address these matters in a smart and professional manner over the past few years - it was not for a lack of trying; you certainly had amble opportunity to do so.
The documents and other information in that apartment - freely scattered around - also contained information of great public interest. Allowing that material to be so available in one of your agency safehouses put a number of New Zealand citizens of the Muslim faith in considerable danger, and potentially, given the aggressive rhetoric being promoted by your agencies and certain players in the mainstream and alternative media, in a highly compromising position.
You and your employees in their actions and in their failure to address what they did caused a great deal of stress and worry to a great number of people.
I trust that you will address my question in good faith - a phrase you are quite happy to bander around in my experience - and to move to make the appropriate moves towards apologies and making recompense for what you have done.
With all due respect,
Bill
From: Information
Government Communications Security Bureau
GCSB acknowledges receipt of your request and will respond within the statutory deadline.
Regards
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill [mailto:[FOI #4771 email]]
Sent: Monday, 19 December 2016 1:35 a.m.
To: Information
Subject: RE: Official Information request - Accommodation for GCSB employees
Dear GCSB,
I find your response that "Unfortunately the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) has no record of receiving your request" highly curious if not deeply suspect. Is is and has been available for all interested parties to view on fyi.org.nz for months.
But, again, for the record, my original response dated 16 October, 2016, stated:
"Are GCSB employees provided with accommodation or accommodation supplements during their employment with the agency?"
Clearly some context is in order.
In 2013, a very senior member of the GCSB, who was on paid leave during an employment dispute with your agency, invited a Muslim family - for upwards of a month - to take over an apartment that contained much sensitive information, including evidence that your agency continued to monitor New Zealand residents (people other than those befriended and invited into that apartment), and using tools available to your agencies that are now well know. This happened at a time when assurances by the Government that spying on residents and New Zealand citizens had ceased following the Dotcom fiasco. I.e., it was an admission of illegality. And a casual one, at that - suggesting that your continued intrusions were quite routine.
The apartment in question, above the "So You" hair salon on Tinakori Road, just happened to be directly across the road from the workplace of the (Muslim) New Zealand citizens invited to take the apartment over. The documents contained definite statements that directly contradicted said public assurances by your agencies, and by former Prime Minister John Key, that such illegal surveillance was not taking place.
That the GCSB were paying directly or indirectly playing for that employees accommodation is significant in this context, and needs to be addressed by you - honestly, and in good faith.
It is a shame that you were not able to address these matters in a smart and professional manner over the past few years - it was not for a lack of trying; you certainly had amble opportunity to do so.
The documents and other information in that apartment - freely scattered around - also contained information of great public interest. Allowing that material to be so available in one of your agency safehouses put a number of New Zealand citizens of the Muslim faith in considerable danger, and potentially, given the aggressive rhetoric being promoted by your agencies and certain players in the mainstream and alternative media, in a highly compromising position.
You and your employees in their actions and in their failure to address what they did caused a great deal of stress and worry to a great number of people.
I trust that you will address my question in good faith - a phrase you are quite happy to bander around in my experience - and to move to make the appropriate moves towards apologies and making recompense for what you have done.
With all due respect,
Bill
-----Original Message-----
Dear Bill,
Thank you for your email.
Unfortunately the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) has no record of receiving your request.
Please forward a copy of your original request to GCSB at [email address] and it will be responded to in accordance with the Official Information Act 1982 from the date it is received.
Kind regards,
Government Communications Security Bureau www.gcsb.govt.nz
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #4771 email]
Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers
If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
This electronic message, together with any attachments, contains information that is provided in confidence and may be subject to legal privilege.
Any classification markings must be adhered to. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not peruse, disclose, disseminate, copy or use the message in
any way. If you have received this message in error, please notify us immediately by return email and then destroy the original message.
The New Zealand Intelligence Community (NZIC) and the departments comprising the NZIC accepts no responsibility for changes to this e-mail, or to any attachments, after its transmission
from NZIC. This communication may be accessed or retained for information assurance purposes. Thank you.
______________________________________________________________________________
This email has been filtered by SMX.
For more information visit http://smxemail.com
______________________________________________________________________________
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From: Information
Government Communications Security Bureau
Please find attached the response to your OIA request
Regards
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information that is provided in confidence and may be subject to legal
privilege. Any classification markings must be adhered to. If you are not
the intended recipient, you must not peruse, disclose, disseminate, copy
or use the message in any way. If you have received this message in error,
please notify us immediately by return email and then destroy the original
message. The New Zealand Intelligence Community (NZIC) and the
departments comprising the NZIC accepts no responsibility for changes to
this e-mail, or to any attachments, after its transmission from NZIC. This
communication may be accessed or retained for information assurance
purposes. Thank you.
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Bill left an annotation ()
Thanks for the respectful response, Mr Hampton.
Please work harder to not derail or destroy the lives of New Zealanders working hard in their spare time to make New Zealand a more dialogue-orientated and tolerant place. You've lost this guy. Maybe go easier on those who are left who are still stupid foolish enough still bother.
Or expect more blowback.
Link to this