Key 'in denial' over report

John Key
John Key
Prime Minister John Key is "in denial" over a report which backs Dirty Politics allegations his staff used information from the SIS to orchestrate a smear campaign against former Labour leader Phil Goff, the Opposition says.

 

Inspector General of Security Intelligence Cheryl Gwyn's report yesterday found primarily that former SIS director Warren Tucker was at fault for supplying "misleading" information about Mr Goff to the Prime Minister during a 2011 war of words between the pair.

Mr Goff claimed he had not been briefed by Dr Tucker about suspected Israeli agents in Christchurch at the time of the earthquakes earlier that year. However, based on the information supplied by Dr Tucker, Mr Key said he had been briefed.

The report found Mr Key's former senior communications adviser Jason Ede helped attack blogger Cameron Slater obtain that misleading information from the SIS which Slater then used to embarrass Mr Goff in blog posts.

Dr Tucker yesterday said he regretted his failings and SIS director Rebecca Kitteridge apologised to Mr Goff, present Labour leader Andrew Little, and Mr Key.

Mr Key, who was responsible for the SIS at the time, said he would not apologise for either the SIS' errors or the involvement of his staff in supplying the information to Slater.

"The report makes it quite clear that in so much as there were any conversations between Jason Ede and Cameron Slater, they were quite within the rules and quite okay," Mr Key said.

But confirmation of the extent of his office's involvement reignited claims aired in Nicky Hager's book Dirty Politics of a dirty tricks campaign run out of Mr Key's office which used Slater as its primary outlet.

In a snap debate yesterday Mr Little said it would be easy for Mr Key and his Government to draw a line under what he described as "the dirtiest, filthiest, grubbiest, vilest operation we have ever seen in New Zealand politics".

"Simply by having John Key stand up publicly and saying to all New Zealanders, I got it wrong. I should not have had a smear machine operating out of my office ... please forgive me.

"Is he man enough to say I got it wrong? He won't because he has been in denial," Mr Little said.

Ms Gwyn's report said the information supplied by Dr Tucker about the briefing was "incomplete, inaccurate and misleading" and "resulted in misplaced criticism" of Mr Goff. It also found that after learning of the information, Mr Key's deputy chief of staff and primary point of contact with the SIS, Phil de Joux, suggested to Mr Ede the information "might prompt an OIA request".

Mr Ede then gave that information to Slater, discussed how an Official Information Act request should be worded, and provided Slater with draft blog posts attacking Mr Goff.

Ms Gwyn's inquiry found Mr Ede was on the phone to Slater when Slater emailed his OIA request to the SIS.

Yesterday, Mr Key said it was "contested" that Mr Ede was telling Slater what information he should ask for. Slater told RadioLive Mr Ede was attempting to persuade him not to submit the OIA request. Mr de Joux and Mr Ede no longer work for Mr Key and Dr Tucker retired earlier this year.

Meanwhile, Labour said it would support the Government's Countering Terrorist Fighters Legislation Bill which beefs up SIS powers to monitor suspected jihadists and gives extended powers to cancel passports.

* Watch a video of the PM discussing the report here: tinyurl.com/keysis

- By Adam Bennett of the New Zealand Herald

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