John Battersby: Massey University Senior Fellow on the report from the Security Intelligence Service

The fact a terrorist attack on New Zealand remains a future possibility is coming as no surprise to one security expert.

A Security Intelligence Service report states we're facing one of the most challenging national security environments in recent times.  

It's kept our terrorism threat at low, indicating an attack is realistically possible. 

Massey University's John Battersby told Ryan Bridge he's often been critical of Kiwis' complacency.  

He says all of the things listed in this threat assessment have existed for quite some time. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
A violent extremist attack in New Zealand is a realistic possibility.
This is according to the sas their latest security report says,
We're up against the most challenging national security environment in
recent times. Foreign espinage is happening here, likely happening here
without us even knowing, targeting sensitive information and critical infrastructure.
John Badisby is a Massi University Center of Center for

(00:22):
Defense and Security Studies with me this morning, John, Good morning,
Good morning to you. Do you find this alarming?

Speaker 2 (00:30):
I don't know they find it alarming. I think I've
often been critical of New Zealand has been a little
bit complacent about security issues and that we really do
need to face up to the fact that the world
is changing and that there are new things happening out
there and they're not always good. So we do need
to be a lot more aware of the types of
security risks that exist. Now, whether I would say it's alarming,

(00:53):
I'm not too sure. I think a number of these
thinking all of these things are listed in this threat assessment,
have been sitting for a sitting with us for quite
some time.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
Now, and there's no I mean, it's the sis. So
the how they're going to tell you all their workings
and exactly what they're thinking is right and where the
threats are and who they are. Is there enough detail
to go off for you to be confident in their assessment.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
I think there's enough contextual detail to be to be
confident that, yes, those security risks exist with this type
of report. And as you say, there's just they don't
give a lot of detail. There is a fair bit
of glossy, large, large text in this, so they don't
really provide enough evidence to convince me that it's way

(01:42):
worse than it was last year. But then they know
things we don't, and it's sort of one little advantage
they have. It wouldn't surprise me if things have got
a little bit worse. The geostrategic situation the Pacific is changing.
There's a new contender on the block has been there
for a while. That's going to affect how the Pacific
is Online extremism, I can't see that it's ever going

(02:05):
to reduce year on year. It's just going to be
so more common each year, I think, so. I think
that's probably there. And espionage, that's something we've been a
slip to for a long time. That is happening here,
has been happening here on off I think for some time.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
Is that like, do you mean a tax on infrastructure
cyber attacks that kind of thing, or do you mean
physical espionage spies?

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Yeah, look, I would say both. And the actors that
are doing the cyber attack can be state based or
they can just be malicious actors, right, So that's not
becoming a less of a risk ever. And espionage, you know,
look right back into the Cold War. If there's a
soft option somewhere, there are states contending for influence in

(02:50):
geostrategic spaces, then yes, there will be a degree of
espionage going on here.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
John, appreciate your time this morning, John Badisbury, Massive University
Center for Defense and Security Studies. For more from Early
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