Ardern wants NZ conversation on security

Jacinda Ardern says New Zealanders need to know more, and will know more, about national security threats to feel safer in a deteriorating geopolitical environment.

On Tuesday, the prime minister attended New Zealand's annual counter-terrorism hui (meeting) convened following the royal commission into the Christchurch mosques attack.

The 2019 attack - carried out and livestreamed by Australian terrorist Brenton Tarrant - was the country's worst modern-day mass shooting, with 51 worshippers killed and scores injured.

At the hui, Director-General of Security Rebecca Kitteridge said New Zealand must confront a rapidly changing security landscape, with the Security Intelligence Service (SIS) pivoting sharply to "anti-authority" concerns.

New Zealand's top spy agency is now spending one third of its counter-terrorism effort on "anti-authority violent extremism" which targets top political figures.

"The sudden rise of anti-authority violent extremism illustrates a concerning development," Ms Kitteridge said.

"Today's extremists are likely to go online to explore a range of ideologies, groups, and beliefs. They essentially cherry-pick from a smorgasbord of extremist views that may resonate."

At last year's hui, Ms Kitteridge said the primary security threat came from "identity-motivated" actors, particularly white supremacists akin to Tarrant.

The SIS's changing priorities follow heavy criticism of the agency following the royal commission, which said the agency had an "inappropriate" focus on Islamic extremism, rather than threats to the Islamic community.

In Auckland, Ms Ardern acknowledged the victims and survivors of the attack, saying "You are the reason we are here".

The government also on Tuesday released two national security reports - a "long-term insights briefing", and informing that, a major survey into the views of New Zealanders.

The survey showed just one in five believed their security agencies shared enough information on national security.

The top five threats as self-assessed by Kiwis were natural disaster, misinformation, hacking, another major health epidemic and organised crime.

"One very clear message we heard is that people want us to talk and share more about national security and that knowing more about the threats we face actually makes people feel more confident in our ability to respond to them," Ms Ardern said.

"New Zealanders need to know more about the current and emerging threats to our national security.

"We all have a role to play in preventing the worst. Being open about our risks is part of that."

She said she was "committed to a public conversation on national security".

"Talking about national security can be tricky, but it's something we need to do more," she said.

Ms Ardern has made tackling online misinformation and radicalisation one of her driving issues as prime minister.

With French President Emmanuel Macron, she has spearheaded the Christchurch Call - her flagship foreign policy - which brings countries and tech companies together to try and curb online hate.

Ms Ardern said a growing number of Kiwis were worried about online threats, as was the government.

"One in 4 people felt that mis and disinformation was the greatest (security) threat to them and their families," she said.

Microsoft, which is a key partner of the Christchurch Call, has reported a spike in Russia-originated propaganda in New Zealand beginning in December 2021.

"Much of this related to COVID-19 and this spike preceded an increase in protests against COVID-19 measures and other issues in New Zealand," Ms Ardern said.

Anti-vaccine protesters in Fenruary staged a three-week occupation of parliament grounds which ended in police intervention, arson and dozens of criminal charges laid.