Newstalk ZB Staff, January 27, 2018, Newstalk ZB.
Protesters say New Zealand’s spies should stop doing US President Donald Trump’s bidding.
About 50 people turned up for a demonstration at the Waihopai spy base near Blenheim today, with both a former Green Party MP and a current one among the speakers at the protest.
The base collects intelligence that New Zealand shares with partners in the Five Eyes alliance, comprising Australia, Canada, the UK and the US.
Former Green MP Keith Locke Locke said there have been protests against the base for decades, but that they’ve become more urgent since Trump came into office.
“Having a spy base that is gathering information for Donald Trump’s foreign policy agenda is not to our liking and we think that New Zealand should be independent.”
Locke said he hopes recent arrival to Parliament Golriz Ghahraman can put pressure on the governing coalition over the base.
“The Greens have ministers outside of government and can continue their long-standing policy of closing the spy base down.”
