Hi Everyone!
Winter has definitely set in around New
Zealand with floods, heavy rain and chill winds sweeping the country,
particularly households across Mid Canterbury in Selwyn and my
thoughts go out to all those who have had to evacuate their property
in recent days due to rising river waters. Please make sure to keep
safe, wrap up warm and look after yourselves and your families!
Cybersecurity
I can't believe that less than a week from raising my deep concerns
about our nation's cyber resilience in the House that a massive
Ransomware attack was launched on Waikato District Health Board. The
effects of the attack are still underway and my thoughts are with the
people of the Waikato from Taumaranui to Thames as they deal with
delayed surgeries, medical care postponement and forced travel for
treatment to other parts of New Zealand.
Last week I wrote my thoughts in a column I repeat below:
As I write this, we are entering the second week of the
terrifying cyberattack involving ransomware on the Waikato
District Health Board’s IT Infrastructure. To put this in
perspective the deeply sensitive, private (let alone potentially
humiliating) and personal medical records, data and patient files
hacked in this malevolent assault on the people of New Zealand, on
over 430
thousand New Zealanders, is at risk of being monetised, exploited
and marketed on the dark net.
This Government has let this happen.
If you tuned into Parliament TV for the General
Debate in the last month you may have noticed I’ve been talking
extensively about my concerns for our digital borders and the
impact that cyber-attacks, malware, scams and spam have had on our
country already in the past year. We saw the confidence shock in our
financial institutions with the incidents at the NZX and
the Reserve
Bank and we’ve had a near unprecedented incident of a Crown
Entity, the Health
Research Council of New Zealand, being unable to adhere to their
democratically mandated duty to report to the House for their Annual
Review scrutiny due to the loss of data that took place.
I’ve begged the Government to uplift cybersecurity spending to
proportionately match Australia’s $1.6
billion investment into cyber resilience and give Parliament
greater insight into the sector.
They haven’t listened.
In Budget
2021 cyber spending is scattered across portfolios. In
particular, Vote
Business, Science and Innovation, Vote
Internal Affairs and Vote
Prime Minister and Cabinet (Some may also sit within the Communications
Security & Intelligence (GCSB) Vote but we don’t get to know
what publicly). When I looked at these votes and the funding being
provided I saw no uplifts and, if anything, a significant decrease in
support for Government Digital Services and cyber support. In
particular the reduction from $55million
to $44 million for Government Digital Services on the basis their
‘payroll’ systems were now sorted was ludicrous particularly when I
saw Waikato DHB staff were having strife with their pay. There is no
true ‘All of Government’ approach to cybersecurity and that needs to
change.
The reason I am so concerned about our cyber education is
simple; the Internet is our new border and we are at a growing risk of
malicious damage to our nation through online actors then we are now
through our airports, particularly during COVID times. Millions upon
millions is lost out of our economy due to the damage that one email
with a virus can contain and we must do more. The State has to take
far more responsibility as our democracy, our health and ultimately,
our lives are now at risk. It is not hyperbole to say that when
clinics and hospitals across the Central North Island are facing one
of the greatest crisis our nation has seen.
At the start of this Parliament I called for a Briefing
on Cybersecurity to be instated before our Select Committees. It
took several months but it finally began a few days ago, I’m hoping in
light of the ongoing situation in the Waikato I will get this Briefing
extended to more widely address the ramifications of this assault on
the health of the Central North Island and I hope my Committee
colleagues will support me on this.
Where is the Ministerial accountability? David Clark, the
former Health Minister turned Minister for the Digital Economy and
Communications, who was asleep at the wheel during COVID-19 is clearly
also asleep at the wheel despite
being the Minister in charge of cyber security policy. David Clark
confirmed to me in Parliamentary
Questions neither he nor his officials, which cover cyber security
matters, have given any advice towards Cybersecurity or ICT Operations
to the DHBs. Here it is again unedited:
As
Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications, neither I, nor my
officials, have given any advice to District Health Boards regarding
cyber security.
As
Minister for the Digital Economy and Communications, neither I, nor my
officials, have given any advice to District Health Boards regarding
ICT operations.
What an outrage. Either something is fundamentally wrong in the
answer given or his team hasn’t even sent some posters for the offices
of our DHBs . I’ve been asking the questions, about 900 cybersecurity
specific ones of the 3572 I’ve
lodged as of Tuesday. Apparently I’m the most prolific MP so far of
this Parliament and that’s not a good thing; it’s ridiculous I have to
ask so many questions when this Government is failing to deliver and
now our digital borders are being breached near constantly.
Ultimately, this situation goes beyond the Labour Government
not doing their job. It is seeing individual New Zealanders being
harmed at their most vulnerable being forced to travel the length of
the country for medical treatment and with growing anxiety about what
unknown hackers know about their personal lives.
My thoughts and the thoughts of the entire National Caucus are
with affected families and members of the Waikato Community. We will
hold the Government to account for this unacceptable
situation.
Our digital frontier is in jeopardy. It’s not good enough. It’s
just not good enough.
MELISSA LEE MP National Member of
Parliament National Spokesperson for – Broadcasting &
Media| Digital Economy and Communications | Ethnic
Communities
If you, your business or a loved one need help accessing
cybersecurity support or education please contact me.
Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre
It was an immense privilege to visit the Mangere
Refugee Resettlement Centre with National COVID-19 Spokesperson Chris
Bishop, Shadow Attorney General Chris
Penk and National Spokesperson for Immigration Erica
Stanford earlier this month.
The Centre is the place for refugees from war torn and vulnerable
communities around the globe to get a fresh start here in New Zealand
with the opportunity to learn English, acclimatize to Kiwi culture and
look to their future.
The team at the Centre are amazingly compassionate and I thank them
all for what they do for our newest New Zealanders.
Everest Day
Everest Day, commemorating the achievements by Sir Edmund Hillary
and Tenzing Norgay in submitting Mount Everest (Sagarmāthā/ Chomolungma), was a wonderful
afternoon with New Zealand's Nepalese and Sherpa Communities. Joining
us for the occasion were Peter and Lady June Hillary as well as Sir
Ray Avery, Dr Mark Inglis, Ang Kaji Sherpa & Honorary Consul for
Nepal Peter Gibbs as well as Puketapapa Local Board Members Ella Kumar
and Fiona Lai.
Some amazing reflections by Peter on the legacy of his father in
his efforts to support education and raising living standards in Nepal
as well from Dr Inglis who gave us a very colourful account of his own
expedition to the summit as a double amputee.
Looking forward to the next exciting Nepalese event soon!
Melissa's Vlog
Each sitting week I sit down with a
fellow Member of the National Party Caucus to discuss the stories of
the day and what's been going on in the House in my Conversation Vlog
series.
We cover everything from Free Speech to Immigration to the Budget
so make sure to tune in!
Tune in through the Link below:
Farewell to Thuten Kesang QSM
Last week President of the Auckland Multicultural Society Thuten
Kesang passed away after a sudden health illness. Thuten was a pioneer
in championing multicultural communities in New Zealand and will be
sorely missed by everyone he encountered in his service to
others.
His memory will live on in the many cultural functions around the
Auckland Region and in the hearts of many.
Good bye Thuten.
Office contact details
My new Office phone number is 09 520
0538 - if you dial the old one it will
re-route either to this one or my Wellington Office.
The new Postal Address for the Auckland Office is PO
Box 74271 Greenlane Auckland 1546
As usual you can always send postage free any information to my
Wellington Office in Parliament at: Office
of Melissa Lee MP, Freepost, Parliament Buildings, Private Bag 18888,
Wellington 6160
My Email address at [email protected] remains
the same and is regularly monitored.
Alternatively book an appointment to meet with me or Tao at 107
Great South Road, Epsom, Auckland 1051
If you recently moved into Mt Albert keep an eye out for a letter
from me soon!
==
Melissa Lee National List MP based in
Auckland Authorised by Melissa Lee Parliament Buildings,
Wellington
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