Goff calls for Key to resign over SIS

Phil Goff calls for Key to apologise or resign after Gwyn report on OIA dealings with Slater; Key denies any wrongdoing; Says Collins could return as minister

25th Nov 14, 3:38pm by Bernard Hickey

By Bernard Hickey

Prime Minister John Key has rejected a call from former Labour Leader Phil Goff for him to resign after an official report identified staffers in Key's office as helping Cameron Slater get information from the SIS on Goff in 2011.

The report's evidence directly contradict assurances from Key from before the election that his office had nothing to do with the OIA requests from Cameron Slater, which was the subject of the 'Dirty Politics' book.

"The Prime Minister should resign, everybody else has," Goff told a news conference.

"If he can't apologise, if he can't give the guarantee then my belief is that he ought not to be Prime Minister of New Zealand," Goff said.

Green Co-Leader Russel Norman called out to Key Key to resign while passing him in a news conference on the way into Parliament. "Time's up, John" he said to Key directly.

"John Key does not have the ethical standards of a junk yard dog," Norman later said in a snap debate in Parliament.

Earlier Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, Cheryl Gwyn, published her report on the inquiry into the release of SIS information to Cameron Slater in July and August 2011. Gwyn criticised the SIS for releasing "incomplete, inaccurate and misleading information" to Slater and found former director Warren Tucker failed to take adequate steps to maintain political neutrality.

She also called on current SIS head Rebecca Kitteridge to apologise to Goff, which she did.

Key denied when answering a parliamentary question from Russel Norman that his office was involved in the OIA request from Slater to the SIS. He called on Goff to apologise for leaking the report.

"There were a lot of claims made, and not a single one has stacked up," Key said in Parliament.

Collins may return

Meanwhile, the Government released a separate report into Judith Collins's dealings with former Serious Fraud Office boss Adam Feeley which cleared Collins of any wrongdoing.

Key said Collins could return as a Minister if a gap opened up and she had proved herself.

More soon.

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23 Comments

by Chairman Moa | 25th Nov 14, 4:25pm 1416885907

Like he would resign! did Helen resign over her dodgy dealings?

Somebody needs to get real, Mr Goff.

by Stephen Hulme | 25th Nov 14, 4:49pm 1416887373

Nobody has to get real, since beyond our borders we are invisible and now the Chinese banks have arrived we can only careless - the irrelevance of the SIS along with the PM will become apparent soon enough - just like all banana republics run by minor non-democratic despots.

by philthy | 25th Nov 14, 11:13pm 1416910421

by Kumbel | 25th Nov 14, 4:59pm 1416887955

Who's Ian Rennie again? What a difference a day makes - 24 little hours.

by Yoda | 25th Nov 14, 7:29pm 1416896971

Using your untouchable mandarins and their extraordinary powers to damage the opposition leader during an election campaign, and getting away with it - priceless. Robert Mugabe would be proud.

by OMG_WTF | 25th Nov 14, 8:27pm 1416900448

Key threatens Goff with jail time for supposedly releasing report findings one day early. Double payback in action.

by Basel Brush III | 25th Nov 14, 9:22pm 1416903760

Slippery. It all adds up to Key being unwilling to admit that he had delegated contact with the SIS.

Key would be the first PM to ever neglect his duty to maintain direct contact exclusively.

He has no idea of his duty to the security of the nation.

This drongo does not deserve to remain as PM. FULL STOP!

by philthy | 25th Nov 14, 10:37pm 1416908235

This isn't a democracy anymore, when a government is proven to be using the secret services for it's own political gain, and yet there are no consequences, this is a dictatorship now.

by Stephen Hulme | 25th Nov 14, 11:31pm 1416911485

When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing—when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors—when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you—when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice—you may know that your society is doomed. – Ayn Rand; Atlas Shrugged, 1957 Read more

by raegun | 26th Nov 14, 7:46am 1416941176

And the bigger corporations and governments become and the more a few accumuate, the worse it is becoming for the masses

by philthy | 25th Nov 14, 10:26pm 1416907581

Key has taken NZ from one of the least corrupt governments in the western world, to one of the worst, in just 6 years, he makes lying through your teeth look so easy.

by philthy | 25th Nov 14, 10:29pm 1416907799

The really pathetic thing is how easily National supporters will overlook blatent corruption when it's their team that is doing it.

A total lack of any integrity appears to be a common trait among National party supporters, what a sad bunch of money loving people.

by Jack Frost | 25th Nov 14, 11:34pm 1416911652

Couldn't agree with you more Philthy ! John Key, a man I trusted and voted for in two previous elections (but not the last election) has turned out to be an absolute dismal failure at lieing. First he couldn't RECALL having dinner with his old school chum who he himself REQUESTED be considered for job as head of the GCSB. The fact a PM is not allowed to have anything to do with that hiring process and yet Key did is wrong. Now we have Key telling us all that Mr Eades personal phone messages deleted were beyond scrutiny because they were PERSONAL. Yet it is obvious with Mr Eade making the comment he was in the shit that his personal phone was probably the vehicle of communication used that should have been investigated in the inquiry. This PM Mr Key talks of the privacy of Mr Eades personal phone yet is ramming through legislation to allow 48hr no questions surveillance of anyones home he or anyone else in authority feels like listening in on or videoing. No democracy at all. Just like referendums not listened and acted on just like the forced Super city failure. John Key thinks once hes in he can do anything he wishes. Watch and see how the now whitewashed clean Judith Collins rises again into a cabinet position. What a farce

by notch | 26th Nov 14, 3:12am 1416924738

Getting beyond a joke now. Remember the spying scandal:

First:

Greenwald has had access to leaked documents provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden, and he says he will release a report that would show the GCSB has been conducting mass surveillance on New Zealanders — a claim Mr Key strongly denies. “There’s no ambiguity. No middle ground. I’m right. He’s wrong,” Mr Key told reporters today.

then:

Mr Key said Cabinet signed off a proposal for the GCSB to investigate a business case for widespread cyber protection of New Zealand entities, but he personally stopped the work in March last year because he thought it was a step too far. “In the end, that never even got to a business case.”

then:

Mr Key today acknowledged the GCSB had indeed tapped into the cable, but for the purposes of a cybersecurity programme. However, Mr Key said concerns the project would be perceived as mass surveillance led to it being scaled back to a much narrower programme.

then:

”we don’t discuss the specific programmes the GCSB may, or may not use”

and the circle is complete:

Prime Minister John Key acknowledged today that NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden’s claim that New Zealanders’ data is accessible through the controversial XKeyscore system “may well be right”.

and:

“However, what I can say in terms of those kinds of Five Eyes databases… yes New Zealand will contribute some information..."

But remember when…

Prime Minister John Key says he and the head of GCSB would resign if the spy agency were found to have conducted mass surveillance.

John Key doesn't lie. Yeah Right.

Nothing to see here. Lets change the flag!

If this were the USA, he'd be out on the street already. Is it because New Zelanders (well the ones left in NZ) are too stupid to realise what a big deal this is?

by Craig | 26th Nov 14, 10:28am 1416950881

You have my thumbs up.

I am still amazed how many blindly follow Key as if he can'e be questioned, many saying the answer of the alternative is worse. Forget any alternative, just decide whether or not Key is a habitual liar first.

by Chairman Moa | 26th Nov 14, 11:24am 1416954258

Labour missed the opportunity to grab a new leader for their party who can go head to head with Key. That person is quite clever, very rich, well known worldwide and can speak mandarin fluently. Can be a bit temperamental but they can live with that. His name is Kevin Rudd and he’s looking for another leader role

by Happy123 | 26th Nov 14, 11:35am 1416954955

Norman and Goff want Key to resign... I bet they do, they can't beat him in elections that's for sure.

And has the left learned nothing from the last election... The more mud you throw around the more will stick to you. It's no wonder right wing voters were mobilised in record numbers last election, just look at the hate spewed by the left to "anyone voting National", any right wing supporter made absolutely sure they got to the polls last election to ensure the country wasn't run by people who openly hate them. Fear is a very powerful motivator.

by Basel Brush III | 26th Nov 14, 11:54am 1416956060

Where did you get your persecution complex from?

If you need advice on your safety, try an institution ---- or maybe Australia.

Then again , I see Brazil has some attractions for at least one New Zealander.

by Happy123 | 26th Nov 14, 12:55pm 1416959732

Thank you BB3, made my point better than I ever could. Make sure you step it up in 2017.

"A total lack of any integrity appears to be a common trait among National party supporters, what a sad bunch of money loving people."

by notaneconomist | 26th Nov 14, 1:05pm 1416960325

Agree Happy......it was a case of getting out and voting right or ending up moving a step closer to an impoverished communist State.........

What worries me is that either way left or centre right politically the outcome will be communism anyway.......Key isn't going to stop anyone in any Government Agency from spying on the people........and he certainly isn't going to buck the international trend and vote down legislation which allows spying......

The principle of public protection, safety or good is the most abused principle throughout history.

by Basel Brush III | 26th Nov 14, 2:35pm 1416965707

Thank you Senator McCarthy

:o)

by notaneconomist | 26th Nov 14, 5:43pm 1416976988

“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy;

It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock

The meat it feeds on.”

― William Shakespeare

"The Goal of Socialism is Communism" - Vladimir Lenin.

"There is not Communism or Marxism but representative democracy and social justice in a well-planned economy" - Fidel Castro.

“Please do not think that I am accusing socialists of insincerity or that I wish to hold them up to scorn either as bad democrats or as unprincipled schemers and opportunists. I fully believe, in spite of the childish Machiavellism in which some of their prophets indulge, that fundamentally most of them always have been as sincere in their professions as any other men. Besides, I do not believe in insincerity in social strife, for people always come to think what they want to think and what they incessantly profess. As regards democracy, socialist parties are presumably no more opportunists than are any others; they simply espouse democracy if, as, and when it serves their ideals and interests and not otherwise. Lest readers should be shocked and think so immoral a view worthy only of the most callous of political practitioners, ...”

― Joseph Alois Schumpeter Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy

by Apple tree | 26th Nov 14, 12:59pm 1416959994

This smacks of the involvement of overseas security services. First pick the man who will support your country's agenda, say Tony Abbott or John Key then manipulate and bribe local players to acheive the result you want. I wonder who now has a condo in Florida or some such. Six months later the local poulation can't understand why someone was elected. I notice Abbott is being shunned by members of his own party seeking election in Victoria.