Superwoman Kitteridge persuades Little to support foreign fighters bill

Once she's through being director of the SIS, Rebecca Kitteridge should enter politics (or at least from the other side; she's already been deputy cabinet secretary under Labour, and cabinet secretary under National).

While former SIS boss Warren Tucker was cowering behind his door, and threatening a TV crew with a trespass notice, Ms Kitteridge was confidently fronting to media. Personally, I think she was a little overly breezy given the appalling behaviour of her agency in 2011. Still, it was an impressive, completely self-assured performance.

And her decision to apologise not just to Phil Goff but to John Key as well was a masterstroke (the PM says he was unaware he was in for a mea culpa). It helped to de-politicise the report, and give the impression of a bungled process under the Tucker regime that resulted in all parties (Goff, the PM's office, bloggere Cameron Slater) being delivered inaccurate information, with no steps taken to correct the error once it was discovered. Not a good look but much preferable to the alternative: that the SIS breached its statutory obligation for political neutrality.

But wait, there's more: John Key had a positive end to his day as Labour supported the foreign fighter bill's first reading.

Leader Andrew Little explained on Firstline this morning, "I got a briefing from Rebecca Kitteridge from the SIS the other day and I have to say she did give me information that persuaded me there is actually a justification for the need to act quickly and smartly because the nature of the people they're dealing with; [they] can move very quickly and circumstances can change."

Labour's support is not a done deal. Mr Little still has qualms about the legislation's provision for 48-hour warrant-less surveillance, and its provision for cancelling passports for up to three years (compared to the current 12 months). But commentator Bryce Edwards says he expects Labour will ultimately back the legislation all the way.

The party will closely examine issues of privacy and civil liberties but Mr Little also indicated this morning that he's got one eye on how middle NZ is thinking, too. "In the end, New Zealanders want to feel safe and secure in the streets and in their homes," he said. Spoken like a man aware some of his party's voters defected to NZ First and even the Conservatives on September 18.

There are limits to Ms Kitteridge's powers. 

The Greens voted against the bill's first reading, unconvinced there is any imminent terror threat that could justify the new terror law's haste, and incursions on the personal freedoms New Zealand is supposed to be trying to protect. 

Still, not a bad day at the office for the SIS director. 

ckeall@nbr.co.nz

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