John MacDonald: What needs to happen because of our terrorism complacency

You would think that, having had a major terror attack here, we’d be the last people that needed to be told after what happened in Bondi on Sunday night that we’re too complacent. 

But that’s what security experts are saying. That New Zealand remains complacent and naive, despite 51 people being killed in the mosque attacks in Christchurch in March 2019. 

And I think we are getting to the point where we need to have armed police at all major events in this country. 

These security experts are saying that what happened at Bondi should be something of a wake-up call for us. With one of them putting it this way in the NZ Herald: “We’re only a small millimetre away from that occurring in our own backyard again.” 

That’s a quote from Chris Kumeroa, who is a director of Global Risk Consulting and principal security adviser to the Government’s Crowded Places Security Advisory Group. 

He says, even though there are significant differences between New Zealand and Australia in terms of international relationships and migrant communities, there is still growing political, religious and social polarisation here. And he says we could be doing more to deal with the risk of another mass casualty event happening. 

But what more could we do? How could we be more vigilant? 

Armed police at major events would be one way. 

Anyone who went to the public gatherings after the 2019 mosque attacks will remember the police being heavily armed. 

And I know that what I’m suggesting would definitely be confronting, but I think it would be comforting, as well. 

Because the clincher for me is this: in Bondi on Sunday night, one of the alleged attackers was a licensed firearms owner. The father, who was still allowed to keep his weapons despite his son apparently having an interest or a connection to ISIS. 

Nevertheless, the guns weren’t illegal. Which shows how gun laws aren’t enough on their own. 

So what I’m talking about is armed police at big sporting events, big concerts and gatherings of particular communities that might be considered at-risk. 

As former SIS agent and now Massey University senior lecturer Rhys Ball is saying today: “We still don’t have conversations within New Zealand society that is thinking about security and safety in any way other than this kneejerk response. Security is usually down the pecking order of issues.”

Armed police at major gatherings and events would be a definite way of putting it up the pecking order, don’t you think?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Morning's podcast where John mc
donald from Newstalks, A'd be.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
You would think that having had a major terror attack
right here, you'd think that we'd be the last place
being told after what happened in Bondy in Sunday night.
On Sunday night, they were all a bit complacent on it.
You would think that. But that's that's what's happening to
day with security experts saying New Zealand remains complacent and

(00:35):
naive despite fifty one people being killed in the mosque
attacks in Christchurch in March twenty nineteen. Or come back
to what they're saying in a second. But I think
we are getting to the point where we need to
have armed police at all major events here in New Zealand.
If you went to any of the public gatherings after

(00:56):
the mosque shootings, you remember how many of the police
there were armed. In Hagley Park. There was no shortage
of cops with guns was there. They were New Zealand
police officers and Australian officers as well. And I was
thinking about that earlier because these security experts are saying
to day that what happened at Bondai two nights ago

(01:19):
or on Sunday night should be something of a wake
up call for us here in New Zealand. One of
them in particular, as putting it this way in the
New Zealand Herald quote, we're only a small millimeter away
from that occurring in our own back yard. Again, small
millimeter away. That's a quote from Chris Kumudor, who was

(01:43):
a director of Global Risk Consulting as also principal security
advisor to the Government's Crowded Places Security Advisory Group. And
he say to Day that there are significant differences between
New Zealand and Australia, including different international relationships and migrant communities. Nevertheless,

(02:03):
so I say, he say, nevertheless, despite those differences, there
is growing political, religious and social polarization here, and he
says we could be doing more to deal with the
risk of another mass casualty event happening here. The thing
is what more could we do? How could we be

(02:24):
more vigilant? Well armed police at major events would be
one way I thought about it after talking to someone
earlier who went to Melbourne to see Lady Gaga of
all people, a couple of weeks ago, and I also
thought of it. Remembering all those armed police at the
gatherings in Hagley Park after the Moss attacks. Now, what

(02:45):
I'm suggesting, I know would definitely be confronting, but I
reckon it would be comforting as well. Armed police were
there at the Lady Gargo concert, was at Marvel Stadium
and Melbourne a few weeks back, and they were there
in Hagley Park at those events after the mosque shootings.
Because the clincher for me is this and Bondai on

(03:07):
Sunday night. One of the alleged attackers was a licensed
firearms owner, the father who was still allowed to keep
his weapons despite his son apparently having an interest or
a connection to the ISIS terrorist organization. Nevertheless, what it
comes down to is the guns were not illegal, which
shows how gun laws aren't enough on their own. So

(03:29):
what I'm talking about is having armed police at big
sporting events, big concerts, armed police at gatherings of particular
communities that might be considered at risk pretty much anything.
At the New One New Zealand Stadium, armed police. How
would you feel about that? I think we need it because,
as another security expert is saying today, this is former

(03:52):
SAS agent he's now Massi University Senior lecturer rees Bell
or Reese Ball as his name. He's saying, quote, we
still don't have conversations within New Zealand society that is
thinking about security and safety in any other way, this
knee jerk response. He says, security is usually down the
pecking order of issues. Well, I tell you what, armed

(04:13):
police at major gatherings and events would be a definite
way of putting it up the pecking order, don't you
think and do you agree that we need to be
more vigilant For more

Speaker 1 (04:25):
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