NZ POLITICS DAILY: State surveillance of journalists

Multiple spying scandals and sagas show that New Zealand is suffering from a democratic deficit.

And it’s not just due to the Government’s contentious GCSB spying reforms – the latest major challenge to civil liberties involves state surveillance of journalists.

The must-read account of this is Nicky Hager’s Sunday Star Times exposé, US spy agencies eavesdrop on Kiwi. Hager’s explosive revelations and allegations suggest that the Defence Force is now monitoring New Zealand journalists, and regards some of them as enemies and ‘subversives’ – such as the investigative journalist Jon Stephenson. The response has been widely condemning. Prof Andrew Geddis of the Otago Law School says he’s outraged - see his blogpost, Morale was deteriorating and it was all Yossarian's fault.

Media expert Russell Brown also says he’s ‘angry’ about this and wonders if his own correspondence with Stephenson has been spied upon. He also points to further discussion about the surveillance of New Zealand journalists in his blogpost, The Real Threat. Blogger No Right Turn has two very good discussions of the issues involved and also raises strong opposition – see: We can no longer trust our armed forces and A point that needs making.

Numerous voices are coming to the defence of the media and its important role in holding power accountable without the state snooping on its activities – see for example Matthew Backhouse’s Ex-Defence boss: Journalists not the 'enemy'. In this, ex-Defence chief Bruce Ferguson comes out as a surprising defender of Nicky Hager, saying: ‘He gets a lot of it right, he gets some of it wrong but he keeps everyone honest, and I think that's probably a very healthy thing to do. And if you don't have those sorts of people, you're getting into autocracy and dictatorship, and I'd hate to see us go that way’. And Labour defence spokesman Phil Goff, has spoken out very strongly on the matter and called for government action – see Michael Daly’s Defence 'subversives' definition slammed. Also, Peter Dunne (@PeterDunneMP) has tweeted to say such state surveillance is ‘appalling and unacceptable’.

Meanwhile, Gordon Campbell says that as ‘Disturbing as the Defence Force mindset may be, it would be misleading to assume that such attitudes are confined to the armed forces and the Police. The hostility to investigative journalism is an outcome of the ongoing politicisation of the public service’ – see: On the Defence Force’s paranoia about journalism. And blogger Martyn Bradbury asks, Was the Prime Minister’s Office aware of the NZDF spying on a NZ journalist?

State surveillance of journalists hasn’t been limited to warzones. Disturbing attempts to track political journalists within Parliament and spy on their metadata has also been revealed. The Fairfax press gallery journalist Andrea Vance has been the victim of attempts by Government investigator, David Henry, to access her phone records and use of her security card. For the latest on this, see Tracy Watkins and Hamish Rutherford’s Journalist's movements tracked by leak inquiry. It turns out that the Parliamentary Service was happy to hand over security card metadata, but drew the line at handing out information on the media’s use of phones.

John Key has deemed the actions of his investigator to be beyond reproach – see Hamish Rutherford and Michael Fox’s No action over phone log access attempt. But this article reports Council for Civil Liberties spokesman Thomas Beagle as believing that the request for metadata on the journalist ‘appears to be going far beyond what is reasonable" and called the inquiry "a political witch-hunt". The move was a "direct strike against the media . . . and I don't think that's acceptable in a democratic society which has any sort of respect for the independence of the media", he said’. Blogger No Right Turn is also especially critical of the Prime Minister’s role in the affair – see: And no responsibility and Spying on journalists II.

The Green Party’s Russel Norman has come out to fight on behalf of media freedom – see TVNZ’s PM sought journalist's phone records - Green Party – despite having earlier issued public calls for the Police to launch a criminal investigation after Andrea Vance published a leaked GCSB report.

The latest spying revelations, combined with the Government’s GSCB reforms, have led a range of commentators to suggest that our democracy is under attack. The marches in the weekend certainly had this theme. One very readable account of the protests is Jane Bowron’s column, Could spying be a new growth industry? And for a more radical report see: Protesting the GCSB. There’s no doubt that opposition to the GCSB legislation is growing, but it’s also become more mainstream, with the involvement of key parts of the Establishment – see Michael Timmins’ Mainstreaming Dissent.

This is why John Key’s dismissal of the protests (PM dismisses protests against GCSB Bill as 'misinformed') seems particularly hollow. Figures like Kim Dotcom amongst others are grabbing the public’s attention and shifting this issue beyond the so-called ‘beltway’. The logical conclusion of this, says Brian Rudman today, is that Dotcom should run for the Auckland mayoralty – see: Dotcom's the man to get city noticed. Another Auckland city mayoral candidate, Mana’s John Minto has blogged a long list of recent legislation (since 2001) that he says has contributed to The Erosion Of Our Civil Liberties – I Think We’ve All Had Enough. (Incidentally, Michele Hewitson’s Interview with John Minto is very good reading).

For more critical, and informed, discussion of the GCSB legislation, see Grant Duncan’s What's good about the GCSB Bill? and Paul Buchanan’s The political logic behind National’s proposed GCSB reforms. And for a defence of it, read Peter Macaulay’s Some reaction to GCSB Bill hysterical, highly politicized and Peter Dunne’s No flip flop on GCSB Bill. Some of these arguments and sentiments are parodied by Scott Yorke in his blogpost, What is the thrust of their argument? But for a more scary version of the whole spying issue, read Chris Trotter’s fictional Interview with a Boffin: Is it possible to shut down the GCSB?

Other recent important or interesting items include the following:

There is always fertile political ground by bagging foreigners, so with Labour looking to ban foreign ownership of housing unless they build, they might well be on to an electoral winner. It doesn't make it a good policy or sensible or logical, but then politics isn’t always about doing the right or proper thing’. Similarly, Cameron Slater is attempting to attach the label of ‘Chan Ban’ to the policy – see: Labour’s policy based on fear not facts. A more sophisticated analysis is offered by Liam Dann in his column, Home-buying ban runs high risks. But again he likens it to ‘Kevin Rudd's hardline refugee policy’, with the political objective of making the leader ‘look tough’.

But is the policy really reactionary, racist or xenophobic? Labour says ‘no’ – see TV3’s Labour denies housing policy 'anti-Asian' and Isaac Davison’s Labour defends buyer policy. Unfortunately for Labour, however, Winston Peters is quoted in defence of the policy, using examples of Asian buyers and ‘people in mainland China’. Damian Christie also provides a strong defence of Labour’s policy in Johnny Foreigner & the Auckland Property Market.

So will the ‘foreigner ban’ policy even work? The verdict on that is still out, but already plenty of commentators say that the effect is likely to be fairly insignificant – see, for example, TVNZ’s Realtor doubts impact of Labour housing policy. But for a highly rational rebuttal of Labour’s policy, see Canterbury University economist Seamus Hogan's blogpost.

The spotlight is very much still on the vulnerability of Labour’s leadership at the moment. The best recent commentaries on this are Vernon Small’s Leadership woes undermine Labour, which says that the leader’s ‘last throw of the dice’ is probably too late, and he explores some of the rival options. Fran O'Sullivan surveys those options too, and throws up the possibility of Phil Goff returning to the leadership – see: Shearer must cosy up to business bosses.

For an understanding of the Government’s proposed changes to labour reforms – as well as the rise of Simon Bridges – see John Armstrong’s very good column, Labour law first test for leader-in-making.

If you want to celebrate the wealthy and successful, as well as economic inequality, Matthew Hooton puts forward some strong arguments in his NBR column, Celebrate the Rich Listers. And to see how the NBR Rich Listers live, see Victoria Young’s Top properties: Rich List special.

Finally, it’s election time (at least at the local body level) so politicians are booking their photo shoots as well as their photoshoppers to enhance their appeal. The incumbent mayor of Wellington is the latest to get touched up – see Kerry McBride’s Will the real Celia please stand up.

Bryce Edwards

NZPD Editor (bryce.edwards@nzpoliticsdaily.co.nz)

State surveillance of the media

Nicky Hager (Stuff): US spy agencies eavesdrop on Kiwi

Russell Brown (Public Address): The Real Threat

Michael Daly (Stuff): Defence 'subversives' definition slammed

Matthew Backhouse (Herald): Ex-Defence boss: Journalists not the 'enemy'

Gordon Campbell (Scoop): On the Defence Force’s paranoia about journalism

No Right Turn: Something doesn't add up here

Toby Manhire (Listener): Flushing out the subversives: the NZ Defence Force and Jon Stephenson

TVNZ: NZDF slammed over journalist 'subversives' definition

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): Was the Prime Minister’s Office aware of the NZDF spying on a NZ journalist?

Radio NZ: Former Defence chief concerned by definition of journalists

Charlotte Shipman (TV3): Journalist's calls monitored in Afghanistan

The Daily Blog: Royal Commission needed after defence intelligence targets NZ journalists

Teuila Fuatai (Herald): Journalist Jon Stephenson accuses NZDF of spying on him

The Jackal: So much for democracy

Newswire: Greens call for spying probe

Carla Penman and Katie Bradford-Crozier (Newstalk ZB): Kiwi journalist not a target for spies – Key

No Right Turn: A point that needs making

Radio NZ: Defence rates investigative journalists as threat

No Right Turn: We can no longer trust our armed forces

Will de Cleene (gonzo): 2+2=5

Katie Bradford-Crozier (Newstalk ZB): Henry inquiry wanted journo's phone records

Radio NZ: GCSB inquiry sought reporter's phone records

Hamish Rutherford and Michael Fox (Stuff): No action over phone log access attempt

Tracy Watkins and Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Journalist's movements tracked by leak inquiry

TVNZ: PM sought journalist's phone records - Green Party

No Right Turn: Spying on journalists II

No Right Turn: And no responsibility

GCSB bill

Jane Bowron (Stuff): Could spying be a new growth industry?

Brian Rudman (Herald): Dotcom's the man to get city noticed

No Right Turn: A dumb idea

Chris Trotter (Daily Blog): Interview with a Boffin: Is it possible to shut down the GCSB?

Grant Duncan (Policy matters): What's good about the GCSB Bill?

Dominion Post: Editorial: Spy bill needs more checks and balances

David Fisher (Herald): Labour would repeal GCSB law - Shearer

Michael Timmins (Daily Blog): Mainstreaming Dissent

Michael Fox and Sarah Harvey (Stuff): Labour: We'll dump GCSB bill

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): When is a repeal not a repeal?

Peter Aranyi (The Paepae): Justifying mass surveillance with ‘terror threat’ is a right wing talking point

Peter Dunne (NBR): No flip flop on GCSB Bill

Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): What is the thrust of their argument?

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): GCSB views

Paul Buchanan (Kiwipolitico): The political logic behind National’s proposed GCSB reforms.

The Standard: Journos need to get serious on spy Bill

Anthony Robins (The Standard): Politically aligned or misinformed

Aaron Hawkins (Daily Blog): More Spying Equals Less Community Engagement

Simon Prast (Daily Blog): The Earth is Moving!

Pete George (Your NZ): Key on Dunne, trust and the GCSB bill

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): John Key describes those protesting GCSB spy laws as ‘misinformed’

John Minto (Daily Blog): The Erosion Of Our Civil Liberties – I Think We’ve All Had Enough

Radio NZ: Greens want conscience vote on GCSB bill

Pete George (Your NZ): lprent contradictory, confused, crassly censoring

David Kennedy (Local Bodies): Spontaneous GCSB Rally In Invercargill

Peter Aranyi (The Paepae): With respect, Mr Key, you misjudge me.

The Standard: Nothing to hide, nothing to fear?

ISO: Protesting the GCSB

NBR Staff (NBR): New bill will make GCSB Big Brother

TVNZ: PM dismisses protests against GCSB Bill as 'misinformed'

Peter Macaulay (NBR): Some reaction to GCSB Bill hysterical, highly politicized

Martyn Bradbury (Daily Blog): GCSB protests – Why John Key is wrong about our confusion & where to from here?

Newswire and RadioLIVE: 'Keep fighting GCSB Bill' – Greens

Radio NZ: GCSB bill designed to get PM out of a hole – Shearer

Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): Labour policy: whatever

Danyl McLauchlan (Dim-Post): Will the GCSB spy on Rachel Smalley?

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Sunday general debate

Katie Bradfrod-Crozier (Newstalk ZB): Key to Labour: what will you replace the GCSB Bill with?

ODT: Spy-bill opponents keep the fight going

Dan Satherley (TV3): Key ignoring the public on GCSB – lawyer

Mark Hubbard (Life Behind the Iron Drape): Tweeting on Surveillance, GCSB Bill, Statist (Labour/Green) Hypocrisy.

RadioLIVE: Anti-GCSB Bill protest at spy base

Newstalk ZB: GCSB picket at Waihopai Spy Base

Matthew Backhouse and John Weekes (Herald): Thousands in spy march

Jacqui Stanford (Newstalk ZB): Cut out the middle man, send Key your emails

Newswire: GCSB protestors 'misinformed' — Key

Greg Presland (The Standard): The Auckland Protest

Anthony Robins (The Standard): The Dunedin protest

TVNZ: Thousands of GCSB Bill protesters hit the streets

Rob Kidd, Hamish Rutherford, and Francesca Lee (Stuff): Dotcom joins rally against GCSB

Newswire and TV3: Protesters turn out to oppose GCSB bill

Greg Presland (The Standard): GCSB Bill opposition heats up

Labour’s housing policy

Liam Dann (Herald): Home-buying ban runs high risks

Eric Crampton (Offsetting behaviour): Labour's Housing Policy

TVNZ: Realtor doubts impact of Labour housing policy

Mike Hosking (Newstalk ZB): Another headline-grabbing policy from Labour

Vernon Small (Stuff): Housing set to be election hot point

Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim-Post): Buzz buzz

Mark Hubbard (Life Behind the Iron Drape): Labour’s Parody Account – Restrictions on Foreign Ownership.

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Labour’s policy based on fear not facts

Damian Christie (Public Address): Johnny Foreigner & the Auckland Property Market

Radio NZ: Labour housing policy seen as xenophobic and racist

Keeping Stock: Is Labour's housing policy racist, or simply xenophobic?

Isaac Davison (Herald): Labour defends buyer policy

Isaac Davison (Herald): Housing intervention opposed: poll

Jacqui Stanfrod (Newstalk ZB): Labour's housing policy labelled 'xenophobic'

TVNZ: Key plays down foreign buy-up of NZ homes

Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): How will Labour’s housing policy work?

TVNZ: Q+A: The Panel discuss Labour leader David Shearer's interview

The Jackal: Property speculators not welcome

The Inquiring Mind: Is Labour racist?

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): It’s official, Labour hate immigrants

NBR Staff (NBR): Labour would restrict foreign home buyers – Shearer

Radio NZ: Reserve Bank's aim not to reduce housing prices – economist

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Labour extends its anti-Chinese policy

Jenny Suo (TV3): Experts sceptical of restricting foreign home buyers

Vernon Small and Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): Labour plan to bar foreigners from buying homes

Rebecca Quilliam (Herald): Labour plans to restrict foreign buyers in housing market

Newstalk ZB Staff, Carla Penman, and Jacob brown (Newstalk ZB): Labour will restrict foreign ownership of NZ homes

TVNZ: Labour's radical plan to block foreigners from buying houses

Radio NZ: Labour wants to curb foreign homebuyers

Newswire: Labour to restrict foreign home buyers

Matthew Backhouse (Herald): Labour 'would consider' foreign ownership of residential land

Labour Party

Vernon Small (Stuff): Leadership woes undermine Labour

Fran O'Sullivan (Herald): Shearer must cosy up to business bosses

Danyl Mclauchlan (Dim-Post): Try winning the race by running faster

Alasdair Thompson (Fair point): On David Shearer

Jono Hutchison (TV3): Cunliffe takes mic at anti-GCSB meeting

Lynn Prentice (The Standard): Lazy Jono on 3 News invents a story

Pete George (Your NZ): Shearer’s denial, lprent’s confirmation

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Rat poison as coke!

Twisted Hive: A word of advice

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): Cunliffe’s leadership tactics – laking committee reports

Keeping Stock: When will the LabourGreen Party launch?

Cameron Slater (Whaleoil): An update from Fraser House

Rodney Hide (Herald): Labour is its own worst enemy

NZ-South Korea Relations

Adam Bennett (Herald): Kiwi veterans return to Busan, South Korea

Radio NZ: NZ PM confident of Korean trade pact

Newswire: S Korea FTA will get over the line – PM

Adam Bennett (Herald): Attack on PM in South Korea fails

Katie Bradford-Crozier (Newstalk ZB): Protest won't distract Key from commemorations

3 News: Lone protester targets Key in Korea

Radio NZ: Key pushes for free trade with Sth Korea

Adam Bennett (Herald): PM Key's image features at Korean war commemorations protest

TVNZ: Kiwi veterans join thousands for Korean anniversary

Adam Bennett (Herald): NZ Korean War veterans serenaded at commemoration

TVNZ: South Korea free trade talks back on the table – Key

Adam Bennett (Herald): Free trade talks back on track

Hamish Rutherford (Stuff): South Korea trade talks to resume

Newswire: Key pushes for free trade with South Korea

Tova O’Brien (TV3): Key putting trade first in S Korea

Adam Bennett (Herald): Free trade talks back on track

Adam Bennett (Herald): South Korean President 'sympathetic' to FTA - PM

Katie Bradford-Crozier (Newstalk ZB): No "forgotten war" for Korean veterans

Fisheries

Stuff: Fishing fury at snapper cut

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Outrageous

Yvonne Tahana (Herlad): Maori quota holders sidestep foreign-worker law

Katie Bradford-Crozier (Newstalk ZB): Shearer snappy over proposed fishing cuts

Katie Bradford-Crozier (Newstalk ZB): Key pushing to protect fishing boat workers

Michael Field (Stuff): Foreign fishing charter rules amended

Inequality, poverty, and unemployment

John Armstrong (Herald): Labour law first test for leader-in-making

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Getting people into work is “sinister”

Anna Turner (Stuff): Getting jobless in work 'sinister'

TVNZ: NZ to replicate Australian social housing model

Lynley Bilby (Herald): Poor caregivers leading to more crime, hui told

Anthony Robins (The Standard): Poverty Watch 41

Jan Logie (Frogblog): NBR Rich List highlights inequality

The Jackal: Rent up, pay down

Deborah Russell (Telling it Left): Avoiding capital gains tax

Richard Meadows (Stuff): No power to force electricity savings

Earthquake recovery

NBR Staff (NBR): Government should pay for strengthening of buildings - Bob Jones

Cameron Slater (WHaleoil): Vested interests much?

Anthony Hubbard and Michelle Hubbard (Stuff): Capital must learn Christchurch lesson: Parker

Rebecca Quilliam (Herald): Call to ease financial burden of quake strengthening

Royal baby

Mai Chen (Herald): Royal baby and earthquakes trigger two seismic shifts

Toby Manhire (Herald): Oh baby, how the times have changed

Martin van Beynen (Stuff): Who would want to be George?

John Roughan (Herald): Refreshing royalty's appeal

Herald: Editorial: Shawl gift shows NZ's lack of imagination

Jonathan Milne (Herald): Crown is a cruel burden

Publishing

Christopher Adams (Herald): Hachette to close NZ publishing unit

Richard Meadows (Stuff): Hachette to close doors in NZ

TVNZ: Fewer NZ books on shelves as publisher moves to Oz

Sky City

Matt Nippert (Stuff): SkyCity's 'fair deal for all' questioned

Matt Nippert (Stuff): A licence to print money?

Education and Novopay

Brian Easton: How Good is our Schooling?

Brian Easton: Ethnicity, Gender, Socioeconomic Status and Educational Achievement: An Exploration

Dianne Kahn (Daily Blog): Education: do we want ingenuity and freedom, or standardisation and control

Economy

TVNZ: Q+A: The Panel discuss Zespri CEO Lain Jager interview

Gareth Vaughan (Interest): Secretary to the Treasury Gabriel Makhlouf on changing the public's perception of Treasury, changes within the bureaucracy and NZ's 'fantastic opportunity'

Newstalk ZB: Renewed call to extend paid parental leave

TVNZ: Zespri not ruling out more issues in China

Bernard Hickey (Herald): Bernard Hickey: Regions may need help to stay alive

Herald: Calls to IRD doubled in last year

NBR Rich List

Matthew Hooton (NBR): Celebrate the Rich Listers

TV3: NZ's richest not doing well - NBR editor

Victoria Young (NBR): Top properties: Rich List special

Electoral law

Andrew Geddis (Pundit): Every end is a new beginning

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Electoral law changes

Holly Walker (Frogblog): Impatiently waiting for a real response to election inquiry

Other

Stuff: Today in politics: Monday, July 29

Kasey Edwards (Stuff): Gender pay gap also exists among children

Christopher Adams (Herald): Capital 'needs vision'

Martin Johnson (Herald): Lower GP fees, say political parties

Beith Atkinson (Integrity Talking Points): New Zealanders rate politicians as the most corrupt institution

Radio NZ: Labour says new mums still being sent home too soon

Paul Moon (Heald): Sunday Insight: The seven deadly NZ myths

Kerre McIvor (Herald): I've got a much better way to test pills

Jonathan Milne (Herald): Slaughtering our most sacred cows

Scott Yorke (Imperator Fish): Thank you, Sir Peter

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): Herald paywall coming

Kennedy Graham (Frogblog): How long is a piece of string? RAMSI, New Zealand, and posterity

No Right Turn: Politicians and "apathy"

Sue Kedgley (Herald): When 'free' means 'well ... nearly'

Brian Rudman (Herald): Children back to classroom, drivers back to gridlock

David Farrar (Kiwiblog): That would be useful

Karl du Fresne (Stuff): Cash-hungry MPs make Kiwi scandals seem pure

Phoebe Fletcher (Daily Blog): Scalping Frodo has a point (or: censorship decisions I cannot understand)

TVNZ: Paula Bennett open to foster care authority

The Standard: How National plans to smash collective agreements

Bronwyn Torrie (Stuff): Tobacco firm stubs out free ciggies plan

Ele Ludemann (Homepaddock): From protester to MP

Michele Hewitson (Herald): Interview: John Minto

Ben Heather (Stuff): Commission rapped for $411,000 consultant

ODT: Editorial – Talk is cheap

Kerry McBride (Stuff): Will the real Celia please stand up

John Drinnan (Herald): Fairfax axes photographers

No Right Turn: Nonexistent oversight

Radio NZ: MP's state house protest 'did not slow' development

Newswire: Harawira calls his fine 'a bargain'

Matthew Theunissen (Herald): Harawira to seek cash from MPs

Peter Wilson (Newswire): Key warms up to Winston Peters

Rodney Hide (NBR): Black means white in tax wonderland

Luke Malpass (NBR): NZ prepared on people smugglersMultiple spying scandals and sagas show that New Zealand is suffering from a democratic deficit. And it’s not just due to the Government’s contentious GCSB spying reforms – the latest major challenge to civil liberties involves state surveillance of journalists. The must-read account of this is Nicky Hager’s Sunday Star Times exposé, US spy agencies eavesdrop on Kiwi. Hager’s explosive revelations and allegations suggest that the Defence Force is now monitoring New Zealand journalists, and regards some of them as enemies and ‘subversives’ – such as the investigative journalist Jon Stephenson. The response has been widely condemning. Prof Andrew Geddis of the Otago Law School says he’s outraged - see his blogpost, Morale was deteriorating and it was all Yossarian's fault.

Other recent important or interesting items include the following:

Boom. Like a grenade into the housing debate, Labour’s latest policy announcement advocating a ban on foreigners buying houses is certainly creating polarising debate and an outbreak of accusations. Mike Hosking says today that ‘This in a nutshell is pure racism’ – see: Another headline-grabbing policy from Labour. He also says, ‘I assume Winston will be fuming at Labour’s housing plan - fuming but smiling. It’s right out of his playbook. There is always fertile political ground by bagging foreigners, so with Labour looking to ban foreign ownership of housing unless they build, they might well be on to an electoral winner. It doesn't make it a good policy or sensible or logical, but then politics isn’t always about doing the right or proper thing’. Similarly, Cameron Slater is attempting to attach the label of ‘Chan Ban’ to the policy – see: Labour’s policy based on fear not facts. A more sophisticated analysis is offered by Liam Dann in his column, Home-buying ban runs high risks. But again he likens it to ‘Kevin Rudd's hardline refugee policy’, with the political objective of making the leader ‘look tough’.