A Government support partner is not happy with recommendations made in a review of the country's intelligence agencies.

LISTEN ABOVE: IT Security Specialist Daniel Ayers speaks to Mike Hosking

Proposed measures include; bringing both the GCSB and SIS under a single Act, reforms of their warrants processes, and greater oversight of their activities.

United Future MP Peter Dunne is happy the recommendations include extra protections and oversights, but doesn't think they should come at the price of increasing the opportunities for surveillance.

LISTEN: Review co-author Sir Michael Cullen speaks to Larry Williams

"The trade-off that that then means you are going to have a higher level of surveillance I think is not acceptable," he said.

However, Dunne supports the recommendation that New Zealand's two intelligence agencies operate under a single Act, and is lobbying for a merged and slimmed down SIS and GCSB.

But for Dunne, the bigger question is what is the nature of the organisation?

"If they're going to have a common statute, it seems to me there should be a common organisation, and that provides a lot of opportunities to them to fine-tune and thin-down its size and scope."

Meanwhile, the Green Party is cautiously supporting some recommendations in the report regarding the make-up of Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee.

The review, completed by Sir Michael Cullen and Dame Patsy Reddy, recommends the committee's size be increased from its current five MPs, up to a possible seven.

Green Party Co-Leader Metiria Turei supports the committee's size being increased, but has reservations about how members might be picked.

She said they shouldn't be picked at the discretion of the Prime Minister, but have all party leaders involved so as to improve oversight over the intelligence agencies.
Overall, Turei believes the proposed changes to intelligence agencies and their laws will see the powers of spy agencies extended.

She said they represent the most significant erosion of New Zealanders' right to privacy in modern times.

"The consequences of the review will be an extension of powers, particularly to the GCSB. We do not think that that is acceptable. We shouldn't have the GCSB taking New Zealander's information and sharing it with a wide range of other countries."

The Soap Box: Nothing like a good conspiracy theory for MPs

ACT leader David Seymour said until now we've been operating with less clear guidelines, which is worse than the proposed changes.

"Yes they will have powers, but they'll be clearly defined in legislation, they'll be proportional to threats, and they'll be under oversight by indecent judicial figures."
Seymour said the most important thing is to ensure any new powers can be properly restrained, with strict processes and proper judicial appointees.

"And I think they've actually achieved that in their recommendations, which is more important than a particular division between domestic and foreign spy."