We had years to prevent a terrorist attack – we deserve to know what went wrong – Stuff.co.nz

OPINION: Hearts sank across the country when we heard the news of an attack on shoppers at an Auckland shopping mall.

In the midst of a Covid outbreak, which on Friday claimed another victim, it seemed like tragedy being heaped on tragedy.

But few of us were prepared for the prime ministers admission just hours later that this was a terrorist attack, that the man who carried out the attack was a known threat known to herself, to security agencies and to police and that he was considered to be such a threat to national security he was under 24 hour surveillance.

Specially trained police officers were, in fact, just metres away when he stabbed his first victims. They had tailed him for 53 days, involving up to 30 officers. He bypassed all of that by making preparations for the attack look utterly mundane; just another trip to the supermarket.

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We know that at any one time there are 30 to 40 people who are under the watch of our security agencies. Not all of them are in New Zealand some are overseas.

But I understand only a handful of them, if that, were thought to pose such a significant risk as the Countdown terrorist.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at a press conference about the Auckland supermarket terror attack on Friday evening.

He had the singular attention of the security agencies and the Government.

The tight circle of senior government ministers who are briefed on matters of national security were aware of the threat he posed and were kept regularly up to date by police.

What we do know is he had their attention because he committed numerous crimes and acts that made his intentions clear.

The Government's explanations so far suggest it was let down by the law at every turn.

But we know that there were years of warning that it could come to this; we also know that some law changes were in train, but they dont seem to have been afforded particular urgency.

Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

Armed police patrol the area around Countdown LynnMall after a mass stabbing incident on September 03, 2021.

We also know that the attacker came here as a refugee, and that efforts were being made to revoke his refugee status because of those crimes and his various acts.

There will be one question on most peoples lips: given everything the authorities knew, why wasnt he deported?

I have been told that the question of deportation was raised in Cabinet on at least one occasion by former Foreign Minister Winston Peters.

We dont know the reasons why that was never acted on, however.

Because of suppression orders that lifted only late last night, the prime minister said yesterday she was unable to answer. We can expect more on that today.

But one reason appears to be the difficulty of doing so under existing laws.

Ricky Wilson/Stuff

The question on everyones lips: Why wasnt he deported? Pictured: Police investigating the LynnMall scene.

Authorities had several years, however, to consider whether this case demonstrated that the law is no longer fit for purpose.

In the immediate aftermath of an attack like this our thoughts, of course turn to the victims first; the stabbing of seven people just going about their business at the supermarket would be unthinkable, except that we have already experienced the horror of a terrorist attack before, and understand the senselessness of this violence.

But this act of terrorism is also unthinkable because it was utterly predictable.

Yet it happened anyway. No amount of finger pointing will change that.

But we deserve to know why it went so wrong.

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We had years to prevent a terrorist attack - we deserve to know what went wrong - Stuff.co.nz