WELLINGTON, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government on Monday tabled legislation that would give the country's intelligence agencies a mandate to spy on New Zealanders in order to protect "national security."
Prime Minister John Key said the New Zealand Intelligence and Security Bill 2016 was the most significant reform of the intelligence and security agencies in history and would improve transparency.
"We have an obligation to ensure New Zealanders are safe at home and abroad," Key said in a statement.
"Therefore it is vital our agencies operate under legislation which enables them to be effective in an increasingly complex security environment, where we are confronted by growing numbers of cyber threats and the rise of terrorist groups such as ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant)."
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