{"id":10901,"date":"2024-08-08T07:54:13","date_gmt":"2024-08-07T19:54:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/?p=10901"},"modified":"2024-08-08T07:54:30","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T19:54:30","slug":"end-to-coordinated-terror-response-ordered-within-weeks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/?p=10901","title":{"rendered":"End to coordinated terror response ordered within weeks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Judith Collins directed officials to end a coordinated state response to the Christchurch terror attack within weeks of taking her ministerial post.<\/p>\n<p>Last Friday,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.co.nz\/2024\/08\/03\/judith-collins-causes-shell-shock-in-small-christchurch-hall\/\">Collins anno<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.co.nz\/2024\/08\/03\/judith-collins-causes-shell-shock-in-small-christchurch-hall\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">unced<\/a>\u00a0the Government was winding down its response to the recommendations of a Royal Commission inquiry into the 2019 terror attack on two city mosques, in which 51 people were killed, and dozens injured.<\/p>\n<p>Official documents released the same day reveal it was in December, less than a month into her new ministerial role, that the minister ordered bureaucrats to start work on ending the coordinated, cross-government response<\/p>\n<p>Almost 150 pages of documents were released last Friday, a flurry of correspondence, advice and briefings for Collins as she and other ministers weighed up the coalition\u2019s approach to the Royal Commission\u2019s 44 recommendations.<\/p>\n<p>Absent, however, was consultation with the Muslim community before key decisions were made.<\/p>\n<p>Three days before Christmas, Collins asked the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) to draft a letter on her behalf to PM Christopher Luxon, detailing how she would achieve her priorities as lead coordination minister of the Government\u2019s terror attack response.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1 \"><\/aside>\n<p>The draft, provided on January 25, said: \u201cMy top priority for this portfolio is to conclude the government response by June 2024, while ensuring the essence of the Royal Commission\u2019s intent and lessons learnt from the attacks are appropriately addressed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On February 20, Collins, the former National Party leader, informed K\u0101puia \u2013 a 28-strong group formed for the express purpose of providing ministerial advice \u2013 of her intentions to conclude the coordinated response.<\/p>\n<p>In just-released correspondence, K\u0101puia chair Arihia Bennett responded: \u201cThe roopu [group] was not consulted on this, prior to seeing this draft paper.\u201d Bennett\u2019s May 30 letter said: \u201cK\u0101puia wishes to express its disappointment and concern at the direction the Government is now taking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The group was disbanded in June, as its funding was \u201ctime-limited\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>K\u0101puia\u2019s final report, provided to Collins in May, said its most important advice was the Government\u2019s response was incomplete. \u201cTo make all New Zealanders safer, there is a clear need to address the remaining gaps in the Government\u2019s response.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The previous month, Bennett, a former chief executive of Te R\u016bnanga o Ng\u0101i Tahu, wrote to the Minister with K\u0101puia\u2019s fears that if the commission\u2019s recommendations were not \u201cfully and consistently\u201d implemented \u201cmore lives will be lost in New Zealand\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>March 15 this year marked the attack\u2019s fifth anniversary. Collins and Cabinet colleague Matt Doocey met Muslim representatives and members of the affected community in Christchurch\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.co.nz\/2024\/03\/11\/its-alarming-imam-to-tell-pm-of-fears-about-firearms-law-changes\/\">on March 1<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.co.nz\/2024\/03\/11\/its-alarming-imam-to-tell-pm-of-fears-about-firearms-law-changes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>, and again in May. Some meeting attendees accused the Government of making pronouncements, and not listening.<\/p>\n<p>Aliya Danzeisen, of Hamilton, the Islamic Women\u2019s Council\u2019s national coordinator, tells Newsroom: \u201cThat\u2019s how it\u2019s been throughout, since they\u2019ve come in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Asked about the lack of consultation, Collins says: \u201cEngagement with affected groups and communities has been a cornerstone of the Government\u2019s response from the beginning. They have played an important role in the response and their input has been invaluable.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-2 \"><\/aside>\n<p>The Ministry said K\u0101puia was consulted and its feedback was included in advice to the Cabinet. \u201cUltimately, final decisions on the recommendations lie with the Government to make.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Advice from DPMC in May said ending the coordinated response \u201cwill not compromise delivery of the remaining, agreed work\u201d to support individuals affected by the terror attack.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-49227\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/newsroom.co.nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/0gLzI1aG4PBJUgaURJZr-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Islamic Women\u2019s Council national coordinator Aliya Danzeisen speaks at a national hui on countering extremism, He Whenua Taurikura,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.co.nz\/2021\/06\/16\/i-shouldnt-have-to-protect-myself\/\">in 2<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.co.nz\/2021\/06\/16\/i-shouldnt-have-to-protect-myself\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">021<\/a>. The discussion was called \u2018What hate feels like now\u2019. Photo: David Williams<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Responsibility for responding to the commission\u2019s report was spread across 12 ministerial portfolios. Collins was responsible for a recommendation to hold discussions about restorative justice with affected wh\u0101nau, survivors and witnesses \u2013 a cohort comprising more than 600 individuals.<\/p>\n<p>DPMC suggested the recommendation be rejected, and Collins followed that advice. Officials acknowledged in January: \u201cA specific discussion on restorative justice has not taken place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Progress on that recommendation had been paused to allow the Muslim community to concentrate on the coronial inquiry, which is ongoing. Hearings are being held this week.<\/p>\n<p>In the background, however, DPMC continued to research the issue.<\/p>\n<p>It advised the minister \u201cthemes\u201d of restorative justice were: achieving justice through a dialogue of understanding; and addressing harm by meeting the needs of the victims.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis approach has not been tested with the affected community,\u201d the advice noted, while acknowledging many in the affected community \u201cbelieve it should include discussions about compensation\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Other countries \u2013 specifically the United Kingdom, Norway and Canada \u2013 hadn\u2019t explored alternative restorative approaches to terror attacks.<\/p>\n<p>DPMC told Collins in January the \u201cintent\u201d of the recommendation had been \u201cmet\u201d by the Government response, and wraparound support.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt will be important to ensure that the community has ongoing access to the services and support they need, to mitigate the risks associated with not progressing this work.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em>\u201cNew Zealanders should receive assurance that cost savings will not compromise their national security.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><cite>K\u0101puia\u2019s final report, sent to Judith Collins in May<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Asked last week if financial considerations had factored into ministers\u2019 decisions to wind down the response, Collins said: \u201cAbsolutely not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, in justifying its suggestion to reject the restorative justice recommendation, DPMC pointed to \u201cwork that has been undertaken to date, and the fiscal environment\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>In May\u2019s Budget, for DPMC there was a $7 million decrease in spending on the \u201csystem response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry\u201d. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Ethnic Communities \u2013 upgraded from an \u201coffice\u201d because of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCOI) recommendation \u2013 had its annual budget cut by almost $2 million.<\/p>\n<p>A month before, the Ministry of Justice announced to the Muslim community it would reduce support through the coronial inquiry victims\u2019 assistance scheme, including funding for those travelling from overseas.<\/p>\n<p>Collins tells Newsroom: \u201cI acknowledge we are in a fiscally constrained environment, but this was not the driver for the decisions ministers made on the remaining recommendations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn making these decisions, the Government\u2019s primary consideration was whether the overarching intent of the RCOI \u2013 to make New Zealand safer and more secure \u2013 was being met.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>K\u0101puia\u2019s final report said: \u201cNew Zealanders should receive assurance that cost savings will not compromise their national security.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Collins says the Government wanted to make decisions to give certainty and clarity to the March 15-affected community.<\/p>\n<p>However, Danzeisen, a member of K\u0101puia who is speaking in her role with the Islamic Women\u2019s Council, bristles at this suggestion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat, certainty that we\u2019re protected when the work isn\u2019t done? Certainty that the [security and intelligence] roles will be effective when they haven\u2019t even established the most important, central aspect of the whole Royal Commission?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>(Danzeisen saves some criticism for the previous Labour government, saying money was probably wasted in its response. And while it was strong on consultation she thinks it was weak on taking action to respond to the Royal Commission\u2019s recommendations.)<\/p>\n<p>Her latter point is about a recommendation, rejected by the new Prime Minister, to create a new national intelligence and security agency.<\/p>\n<p>A May briefing by DPMC said Luxon thought leadership and accountability could be lifted \u201cwithout adding complexity\u201d to the country\u2019s security apparatus.<\/p>\n<p>Ben King, DPMC\u2019s chief executive, had been designated national security advisor, \u201cwhich would formalise the CE\u2019s current responsibilities for national security\u201d. Also, the chief executive-level national security board, chaired by King, which is responsible for implementing the country\u2019s national security strategy, had been \u201cstrengthened\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The Royal Commission raised concerns about a lack of clear leadership and accountability in the national security system. K\u0101puia\u2019s final report said: \u201cThere is still no one agency responsible for either countering terrorism or wider national security.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Luxon, the Minister for National Security and Intelligence, also decided not to create an advisory group suggested by the Royal Commission because it \u201cwould not yield sufficient benefits to warrant the administrative burden, and overheads\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, security agencies would use \u201cexisting mechanisms\u201d to seek advice.<\/p>\n<p>K\u0101puia said an advisory group \u2013 comprising representatives from communities, civil society, local government, and the private sector \u2013 was crucial to ensure a range of perspectives were considered when countering terrorism.<\/p>\n<p>Recently reported events seem to suggest there are benefits of greater monitoring and oversight.<\/p>\n<p>In March, just after the terror attack\u2019s fifth anniversary, the Government Communications Security Bureau revealed a foreign spy agency ran a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/news\/national\/512310\/foreign-agency-ran-spy-operation-out-of-gcsb-for-years\">secret operatio<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/news\/national\/512310\/foreign-agency-ran-spy-operation-out-of-gcsb-for-years\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">n<\/a>\u00a0in this country for years without ministers knowing.<\/p>\n<p>A week later, Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Brendan Horsley released\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/news\/political\/512794\/spy-agency-s-surveillance-powers-too-broad-inspector-general-warns\">a re<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/news\/political\/512794\/spy-agency-s-surveillance-powers-too-broad-inspector-general-warns\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">port<\/a>\u00a0which said the Security Intelligence Service had too much discretion when using intrusive \u201cclass\u201d warrants for surveillance.<\/p>\n<p>Then, in June, the Supreme Court issued\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnz.co.nz\/news\/national\/518721\/supreme-court-rules-minister-was-wrong-to-cancel-passport-over-islamic-state-fears\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a ruling<\/a>\u00a0that the Government broke the law in 2016 by cancelling a woman\u2019s passport on the advice of the Security Intelligence Service. Judith Collins was one of the ministers involved.<\/p>\n<p>Danzeisen, of the Islamic Women\u2019s Council, makes a philosophical point about governments. They\u2019re there to protect communities, and citizens give up some rights to be safe, and have a cohesive community.<\/p>\n<p>But the Government here didn\u2019t keep the Muslim community safe in 2019, she says. (To be fair, the Royal Commission found intelligence services had\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.co.nz\/2020\/12\/08\/10-key-answers-about-the-christchurch-attack\/\">virtually no h<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/newsroom.co.nz\/2020\/12\/08\/10-key-answers-about-the-christchurch-attack\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ope<\/a>\u00a0of finding the terrorist.)<\/p>\n<p>Intelligence services viewed the Muslim community as a potential threat, rather than a potential victim \u2013 so, she argues, it hasn\u2019t been treated fairly, either.<\/p>\n<p>The Muslim community\u2019s wellbeing is suffering, she says, not just because of the terror attack, but because of ongoing abuse and hatred. Yet the Government is pulling some services.<\/p>\n<p>The social contract with the Government is broken, Danzeisen says. \u201cSo what are they going to do to repair it? What are they going to do to restore it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>NEWSROOM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Judith Collins directed officials to end a coordinated state response to the Christchurch terror attack within weeks of taking her ministerial post. Last Friday,\u00a0Collins announced\u00a0the Government was winding down its response to the recommendations of a Royal Commission inquiry into the 2019 terror attack on two city mosques, in which 51 people were killed, and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10902,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[222,174,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-nz-news","category-uncategorized"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10901","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10901"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10901\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10903,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10901\/revisions\/10903"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10901"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10901"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10901"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}