Peace, human rights activist speaks out

Delivering this year's Archibald Baxter memorial peace lecture at the University of Otago last night was human rights and peace activist Maire Leadbeater.

In a wide-ranging talk covering decades of activism in New Zealand, before a nearly full lecture theatre, she argued the importance of peace research as a way to challenge state secrecy.

The daughter of Jack and Elsie Locke and brother of former Green MP Keith Locke, Ms Leadbeater's family was subject to surveillance by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (SIS).

She made no bones about her views on the SIS and Government Communications Security Bureau. "We don't need them. We don't need either of them."