Prime Minister John Key has confirmed in Parliament that he exchanged text messages with Whale Oil Blogger Cameron Slater about the Gwyn report the day before it was released.
Slater is a central figure in the report by Cheryl Gwyn, the inspector-general of security and intelligence.
She investigated the way he received SIS information which he used to embarrass then Labour leader Phil Goff, and his contacts with Mr Key's officials before he put in an Official Information Act request.
In Parliament today Labour MP Megan Woods asked Mr Key whether he had communications with Slater between November 23 and 25 regarding the Chisholm report (on Judith Collins) or the inspector-general's inquiry.
Mr Key at first replied "No" to her question, but returned to parliament later to correct his answer.
He explained that he had thought Dr Woods was referring only to the Chisholm inquiry, but when he checked the transcript he realised she had also asked about Ms Gwyn's report.
The Prime Minster's office tonight released a transcript of the text message between Mr Key and Slater.
"My corrected answer is 'no' in respect of the Chisholm inquiry and 'yes' in relation to the IGIS report," he said.
"On Monday the 24th of November I received an unsolicited text message from Mr Slater with a reference to the IGIS report. There was a very short exchange where I briefly acknowledged that text message."
Mr Key's confirmation that he was in contact with Slater is likely to lead to questions from opposition parties about exactly what the exchange involved.
Labour and the Greens have been trying to link Mr Key with Slater as they accuse him of having known that "black ops" were being carried out within his office, and that Slater was being used to attack National's opponents.
Andrew Little fired up over Dirty Politics
Andrew Little has taken the Dirty Politics debate to a new level.
The new Labour leader told Mr Key to "cut the crap" in Parliament today.
"Why doesn't he [Mr Key] just cut the crap and apologise to New Zealanders for running a smear machine out of his office?" he said.
Mr Key has responded, saying it is going to be a "very interesting three years".
Labour liked Mr Little's call so much they made an online ad, while Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce created a new nickname for Mr Little.
"He looks a bit like Angry Andy," he says.
Mr Little is fuming about Dirty Politics.
"Why won't [Mr Key] admit the truth – that his office worked with his blogger to use information held by his security agency to attack his political rival, and the buck stops with him?"
But Mr Key said that was not truth.
He is refusing to take responsibility for the way former deputy chief of staff Phil de Joux used inside information from former SIS spymaster Warren Tucker, with Mr Key's taxpayer-funded dirt-digger Jason Ede working with Slater, who obtained it under the Official Information Act (OIA) to attack then-Labour leader Phil Goff.
"The black ops operator, Jason Ede, two doors down, doing his job, ringing up the bloggers, manipulating the OIA and getting the attack lines out," says Mr Little.
Mr Key used attack as the best form of defence, attacking Mr Goff for leaking the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security's report.
"I'm not part of a political party that leaks an embargoed document," he says. "Black ops are alive and well in the Labour Party."
3 News
source: newshub archive
