Key’s office ‘not involved in release of SIS papers’
The Security Intelligence Service says neither Prime Minister John Key nor his office played a part in the release of controversial documents to blogger Cameron Slater.
The documents were released to Slater six days after he requested them and then posted them on his Whaleoil site.
They confirmed the SIS had briefed Phil Goff, Labour leader at the time, about Israeli backpackers who left the country after the Christchurch earthquakes.
In answer to questions from Fairfax Media today, referred from Key’s office to the SIS, a spokesman said the director was responsible for responses under the OIA ‘‘and made the decision to release, and what to release in this case’’.
‘‘Under the ‘no surprises’ convention the director or a representative would normally inform the minister’s office about what is being released under the OIA. That’s what occurred in this case,’’ he said.
‘‘Neither the PM nor his office expressed a view as to whether the information should be released, or to whom, or when,’’ the spokesman said.
Key has so far not responded to the same questions put to his office.
Slater maintained he had sought the SIS notes ‘‘entirely on his own initiative’’ and Key has denied involvement.
Nicky Hager in his book Dirty Politics said Slater was able to secure a response from the Government under the OIA remarkably quickly, given the usual wait.
Earlier, Labour MP Grant Rob- ertson questioned Key’s claim he did not sign off the release of the documents to the Right-aligned blogger after revelations of his links to Key’s office, through his adviser Jason Ede.
‘‘The prime minister is the only form of public oversight on the SIS. ‘‘For him to delegate signing off OIAs about briefings for the leader of the Opposition to unknown staff members is incompetence bordering on negligence,’’ Robertson said. ‘‘It is also barely believable.’’ If it was true, Key must be ‘‘the most hands-off minister in charge of the SIS’’ there had ever been, Robertson said.