Prime Minister John Key is questioning how controversial the new law governing the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) really is.



"There was no protest outside Parliament yesterday. In Question Time I didn't get any questions on GCSB," he told RadioLive this morning.



By 61 votes to 59, Parliament last night gave the GCSB power to spy on New Zealanders when it is acting under warrant and for agencies including the Security Intelligence Service, police and defence.



"It's really easy if you are the Opposition to create either alarm or concern or misconceptions," Key said today.



The law was not the sort of thing that affected most New Zealanders every day.



The assistance function, where the GCSB could provide domestic spying help, applied to probably about nine people a year.



"So it's not the biggest deal, but it is about keeping every New Zealander safe, and in the end that is the dilemma you have when you're in my job," he said.



"Eventually, the buck stops with me in terms of providing the best information to protect New Zealanders."



Labour Party deputy leader Grant Robertson said Key had dismissed out of hand concerns about the law.



"I think he's lost touch a bit with the level of concern that New Zealanders have on this issue, and it's time New Zealanders were listened to," he told TVNZ.



New Zealanders wanted to know that along with the security of the country, their privacy as individuals was protected.



"The balance has gone in this legislation," he said, adding that the GCSB's powers had expanded significantly.



If Labour was the government after the next election it would carry out a review of the law based on core principles such as democracy, transparency and independence.



"We'd make sure that that oversight regime really reflected the modern world we live in, where we do so much communication online," Robertson said.



"So, I'd be very surprised if there weren't some quite significant changes as a result of this review."

KEVIN STENT/Fairfax NZ OPPONENT: Labour leader David Shearer outlining his opposition to the bill.