The council said the government failed to support and protect the Muslim community and prevent the 15 March attack. The submission details a number of meetings council members had with various representatives from the Security Intelligence Service, including its head Rebecca Kitteridge. The council said at those meetings, its message was clear: "It was that the government had failed and was failing the Muslim community. The council said the Security Intelligence Service could not have been surprised by what happened on 15 March, because the council had warned them about growing anti-Muslim sentiment. The council said the police failed in not developing a national strategy to deal with threats against Muslims and mosques.

Source: Otago Daily Times July 06, 2020 22:52 UTC