Why was the Secret Intelligence Service working with private spies and what else were they doing?
This is bullshit of a dangerous nature…
SIS director ‘concerned’ over SIS communications with Thompson and Clark
Director General of the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) Rebecca Kitteridge has raised concern about communications between the SIS and security firm Thompson and Clark.
She said a trove of emails released under the Official Information Act on Tuesday “raise questions in relation to conduct and possible bias in favour of Thompson and Clark” and those questions are now the subject of an internal investigation.
…the way this story is being set for you is over the tone of the emails.
Fuck the tone of the emails, what the hell is the Secret Intelligence Service doing contacting corporate spies like Thompson & Clark in the first place?
T&C were trying to get the SIS to pimp clients for them, but this goes far deeper than that.
T&C are the corporate spies and fixers a Ministry uses when they want to circumvent the law and avoid democratic oversight.
To date T&C have done dirty deeds dirt cheap for the MPI, MBIE, Department of Conservation, Ministry of Health and MFAT.
T&C have spied on activists, spied on earthquake victims, have infiltrated protest groups.
They have a long and ugly history of targeting legitimate protest groups for State Agencies. They did the dirty on Greenpeace for big oil and tried to frame protesters for Solid Energy.
So do the SIS and other state departments and agencies see T&C as a tool to get around the law and avoid official scrutiny? And if they do, does that mean the SIS see that relationship as essential to their national security interests?
How far are the SIS prepared to go to protect T&C?
It’s interesting how the amplification of rumours against Clarke Gayford jumped once Jacinda announced a ban on all state agencies working with T&C.
This is a deep state in a shallow puddle.
Official information request done in twos and fives is what tackling, rucks, mauls and passing is to rugbies dark arts.
I posted this under Open Mic yesterday, it did not show until today, and it is very relevant to this post, I think:
DIRTY POLITICS AND THE REST, DOES IT ALL COME OUT NOW, AFTER THE NATS HAD TO CEASE POWER?
‘Inquiry into spying claims extended to all govt agencies’
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/359959/inquiry-into-spying-claims-extended-to-all-govt-agencies
“All government agencies will come under scrutiny as part of an inquiry into the use of the security firm, Thompson and Clark.”
“Today, Mr Hughes announced that the inquiry would now cover all government agencies.
He said he was concerned about what has surfaced in the inquiry to date and new information now available about other agencies.
The fresh material came to light in official information requests to the Ministry of Primary Industries and the Security Intelligence Service.”
Are we going to get a revelation of the kind like a ‘STASI Down Under’ version of a system operating in NZ Inc.?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stasi
“This is a deep state in a shallow puddle.”
At least Martyn has got it, I wish more ‘ordinary’ NZers would finally get it.
“Ordinary New Zealanders” only get it when it happens to them. Their only care is the next Briscoes sale.
I note that instead of a knee-jerk defence of the actions of public servants colluding with T&C, the PSA has spoken up in support of “public scrutiny of the actions of government agencies”. This is a good example of the wriggle room the PSA has to support the public interest, without throwing its own members under the bus. It’s suggests the claims that the PSA is a barrier to public service reform under a Labour-led govt, made recently on TDB, were unjustified.
We live in a punitive society and the majority of kiwis think that people must be guilty and that is why they are spied on and people are bad that is why they are sent to prison and people are lazy and what is why they don’t have a job and people don’t spend their money on the right things that is why they can’t give their kids breakfast…. and so it goes on.
I do hope something comes out of all of this to wake your average Kiwi up.
That’s to put it mildly, add in the FACT we have the worst homelessness in the OECD – no wonder myself and others are moving (all be it slowly) to Australia.
At least Australia has a constitution.
How much additional funding did PM Key allocate to NZ spy agencies?
+100 …good question
How much additional funding did PM Key allocate to NZ spy agencies?
Neoliberalism contracting out our Intelligence Services ?
Under the reforms introduced by Labour in the 1980s, the state exists to provide opportunities for businesses to profit from the activities of the state.
Sadly, no government has attempted to reform any of the diabolical reforms of the 80s. So the mess initially created by Labour will continue to be made worse until something -increasingly looking like the global financial system- breaks.
However, many incompetent National governments have continued to make matters worse.
re :”T&C are the corporate spies and fixers a Ministry uses when they want to circumvent the law and avoid democratic oversight.”:
Question is: Who was/is responsible for the contracting out of spy services? ….and are overseas companies used to hit on New Zealanders?
Obama & Hillary. Don’t let anything distract from the hearings going on showing blatant corruption between the FBI and DOJ. Obama & Hillary should be in jail.
Two or three years ago Rebecca Kitteridge made the surprising suggestion that the SIS should have its own reality television show, like Border Patrol – to be open – to let people see what they do.
Would such a show have included govt security sub-contractors like T&C, the people who work in the shadows ?
Security and intelligence like the technology sectors have failed to keep pace with rapid and complex change. Society in general is becoming relatively weaker than there 1980’s predoccesors both in mind and body. Not all of it can be put on biological performance in my opinion. A lot of it, again in my opinion has to do with the introduction of the smart phone and how unproductive it can make society in general interlectually disrupted / distracted. And we must recruit from this gene / talent pool. I think if you did observe a reality series the SIS version it would show up evidence of brain damage with crazy eyes indicating the potential mental health of recruits. As for countering forign interests and those that seek to counter them, it should reflect the values and thoughts of a nation.
If state organisations are willing to use private investigators to spy on us, that’s a damned good reason not to extend further the powers of the police, SIS, and GCSB. This is what abuse of state power looks like.