New Zealand could be next in surveillance leaks journalist says

With elections just days away, former The Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald has accused the prime minister of New Zealand of approving the mass surveillance of citizens.

Prime Minister John Key, in response to the allegations, said that the journalist is "deceiving the public," The Guardian  reported.

Key claimed that a proposal for a "mass cyber-protection" was on the government's agenda back in 2012 and that it was not too different from a high level anti-virus programme. The proposal was rejected. He said, "There is no ambiguity here. There is no and there never has been any mass surveillance. "

Greenwald, on the other hand, claims that the government of New Zealand did more than just evaluate the proposal. They adopted the proposal and made it a reality.

According to the Guardian, in regard to Key's remarks about the issue, Greenwald said "I have done reporting of surveillance all over the world and a lot of governments haven't liked what I've said, but I've never seen a head of government lose their dignity and get down in the mud and start chucking names to discredit the journalist in order to discredit the journalism."

Key had called the journalist a "little henchman."

Greenwald is currently in Auckland, the nation's capital. He is attending an event called "The Moment of Truth", which was organized by Kim Dotcom, a German internet entrepreneur.

At the event, Greenwald is expected to produce evidence regarding the allegations. Julian Assange, the editor-in-chief of the Wikileaks, is also expected to attend the event via video link. Dotcom also claims Edward Snowden might even show up on the big screen, too.

Greenwald became a well-known figure when he authored stories based on leaks by Snowden. The leaks documented the mass surveillance of the Internet by the National Security Agency. His work started a new debate all over the globe and he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 2014.