Only in NZ could oil companies get caught spying on children and the story sink away in 24 hours
Wow.
Less than 24 hours after Nicky Hager’s latest extraordinary story of how oil companies have been spying on children and it’s disappeared without trace elsewhere.
School children targeted by private investigators Thompson and Clark
School children from the group School Strike 4 Climate joined a peaceful protest against the oil-exploration company OMV in New Plymouth a year ago, only weeks after unprecedented numbers joined their 27 September school strike marches around New Zealand. Public concern about climate change had never been so great. These were peaceful, democratic protests.
But a two-year investigation has found that they and other climate change groups were targets of the private investigation firm Thompson and Clark, paid by clients from the oil and gas industry.
The investigation reveals that a major focus of Thompson and Clark in 2019 and 2020 – years of storms, floods, forest fires and marching school children – was monitoring and helping to counter citizen groups concerned about climate change.
Thompson and Clark’s clients included a range of large greenhouse gas emitting industries, including many of the oil and gas exploration and drilling companies in New Zealand and the industry lobby group, the Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand (PEPANZ). It has targeted climate change campaigners belonging to School Strike 4 Climate, Greenpeace, Extinction Rebellion and local Oil Free groups.
Information about Thompson and Clark’s clients and anti-environmental activities was provided confidentially by company insiders who say they disapprove of the private investigation company.
Operations against these groups were run by Thompson and Clark’s collection manager, the former long-term New Zealand Security Intelligence Service officer, as revealed by Radio New Zealand yesterday. The officer, known only as Gerry, moved to Thompson and Clark ten years ago, after 30 years with the NZSIS.
When oil companies are spying on school children protesting against global warming something has gone horribly, horribly wrong in society.
When just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions, and when Oil Corporations knew about and hid climate change as far back as the 1990s we must acknowledge that those who have created and fostered the economic model that has allowed for this damage must be the first to pay for the adaption funding.
Oil companies must be sued for the damage they have caused the way Tobacco was sued over cancer.
That money needs to help fund the adaption.
Watching the oil industry respond by hiring corporate spies who are utilising former SIS Officers to spy on school children protesting against climate change is all the proof you ever needed to know how truly spiteful and evil these oil companies truly are, so if you are having some internal dialogue about their rights, don’t!
Scoops this big need to be on every front page!
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Remember when the privatisers used to talk about corporate citizenship and corporate responsibility?
As Countryboy says on another thread – it always was bullshit.
I hope that the SIS and GCSB keep a close track on activities of Thompson and Clark and their staff. They definitely show “Anti NZ Activity”
In a world clogged with “shocks around the clock”–this one truly is shocking. And should indeed have wide coverage.
Ex state snoops and scabby T&C trying to intimidate the young people who are increasingly burdened with Climate Disaster and trying to do something about it.
Gerry needs to be outed so that decent NZers with a sense of morality can subject him to a bit of overt spying.
Disgraceful abuse of power if this ex spook was using government resources, technology and personnel to spy on private citizens. Is this what our public service has come to, a bunch of entitled hustlers lurking around in the shadows using publicly funded criminal surveillance technology to protect their mates’ business interests instead of keeping us safe? And this government has the audacity to patronise citizens with hate speech psychobabble overriding our fundamental right to free speech and privacy (all the while shutting down debate on their creeping authoritarianism), while their buddies in the shadows monitor citizens and our personal records with cameras and God knows what else?
It’s a big club tama, and you ain’t in it
Same as it ever was – https://youtu.be/IGf4maDU7Ps
If they were minors these are serious allegations and IMO could lead to criminals charges and potential prison time.
Sounds very serious.
Ummm, why have the executive’s from these companies not been arrested? Had there assets striped, and all their accounts frozen? What is wrong with the police?
I know my next may comment will shock some, but why has section 78 of the crimes act not been applied to these company executives? They have clearly acted in the interests of organizations outside NZ, to the determent of NZ. In this case it’s children. Where is the Attorney-General – come on Hon. David Parker. Lets have a enquiry at the very least.
Why don’t you stop filling up your car with petrol you mouthing lying hypocrite
Please stick to the subject. Address the appalling acts by the oil companies instead of mounting strawman attacks. And what’s your motivation behind that?
Have never owned a car. Assumptions – making an asshole of an accusers since the beginning of time.
Disappointing that no politician (at least a sitting ones) called for an enquiry.
This seems a little paranoid by Niki Hager latching onto Thompson and Clark and even The Exclusive Brethren!! This is not reds under the bed…. more like blues under the bed. These oil companies are constantly under siege by everybody. virtually driven out of NZ now.. the govt. totally hostile to them …you can’t really blame them if they employ a few “spies”. This “climate change” is really ramping up a feverish hostility towards them by the young people of NZ…. which I feel is totally unwarranted….
Here’s the truth of science…
https://www.climateconversation.org.nz/2021/02/science-says-change-the-weather-and-break-the-countrys-heart/
The story disappeared quickly is because even the media is beginning to realise Nicky Hager is a first degree, lefty, paranoid, climate change believing, book- writing kook.
Hey Mack. Seriously, try some intelligent comment. Facts exist outside you and I, independently. Nicky Hager has proven time and time again to be a journalist of integrity and class. He’s never been sued. How about you back your comments up with some sort of proof demonstrating what you’re attempting to say?
Otherwise it just sounds like a paranoid meaningless rant.
Sheesh assumptions from you Mack are just showing you to be a bit of an…
Mack
Are you saying that you don’t believe the climate is changing.
Whats a kook.
Nicky Hager is a national treasure–always sticking it to the “man” on behalf of the people.
Blowhards like Mack above should realise that Nicky’s efforts are significantly only possible due to concerned insiders from NZ National, NZ Defence and the Security Services talking to him or passing on information confidentially. He seems as, or more skilled as any NZ spy in protecting his sources.
One last thing…the reason the Govt. will not squash Thompson & Clark like the insects they are, is because they want to preserve the option of outsourcing state surveillance and preserving plausible deniability. Contracted snooping is not subject to the oversight and accountability (weak as it is) that the NZSIS and GCSB can be subject to.