A Ngai Tuhoe leader suspects a bill proposing to strengthen a government agency's spying powers will only intensify the Crown's suspicion of the iwi if it's made law.
Independent MP Peter Dunne says he'll give the Government the one vote it needs to pass the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) legislation allowing the agency to spy on New Zealanders after the Prime Minister agreed to make what Mr Dunne calls major changes.
Tuhoe leader Tamati Kruger says the iwi knows all too well about injustice resulting from Crown suspicion, highlighted by their fraught historic relationship.
He says extending the powers of the GCSB will only fuel the Crown's suspicion of New Zealanders and contribute to further injustices.
He says if the bill is made law, the iwi must find ways of protecting itself by being vigilant that its privacy is no longer respected.
