It is possible the secrecy that surrounds intelligence work means flipping between these extremes is understandable. Literally overnight it switched to outrage that our agencies did not know everything about everyone. Much of the correspondence about intelligence and security issues that I received prior to the March 2019 terrorist attack was predicated on a fear of the agencies’ supposed capabilities to know everything about everyone. But the quality of our national security conversation has not evolved at the same pace.ĭiscussions about our intelligence agencies up until now are reflected in the following observation. The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically accelerated changes to the ways we work with connected technologies, but the cyber threats we face are growing. Great powers are focussed on our Pacific neighbourhood, which was once described as an incredibly benign strategic environment. There have been two recent terrorist attacks. The nature of the threats New Zealand faces is changing. I bring with me the greetings of our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, who is also the Minister for National Security and Intelligence. I am also the Lead Coordination Minister for the Government’s Response to the Royal Commission’s Report into the Terrorist Attack on the Christchurch Mosques, which means I work with other Ministers as we implement all of report’s recommendations. I am the Minister Responsible for our two intelligence agencies, the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (or NZSIS) and the Government Communications Security Bureau (the GCSB). Tonight I speak with three of my ministerial hats. Ngā mihi nui to the Victoria University of Wellington-Te Herenga Waka Centre for Strategic Studies for hosting this evening’s event. Ko nga take whakamarumaru, take tiaki, ki tā te Kawanatanga mahi, He taura tangata, he taura kaupapa e hono ana i a tatou katoa,

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