24 November 2014
Royal Commission needed after proof PM’s office involved in Dirty Politics
Reports that the Prime Minister’s senior advisor gave secret SIS information to blogger Cameron Slater in order to
embarrass the Labour Party proves John Key office was involved in Dirty Politics and abused their power to manipulate at
least one election campaign, the Green Party said today.
One News is reporting that Inspector General of Intelligence and Security Cheryl Gwyn will find that John Key’s former
advisor Jason Ede was on the phone with Cameron Slater at the same time Mr Slater filed an OIA request for SIS
information about then Labour leader Phil Goff. This proves a key allegation in the Dirty Politics’ book, that the Prime
Minister’s office used the SIS to attack Labour during the election campaign.
“The findings are so serious that a Royal Commission of Inquiry should be held into all the allegations of abuse and
misuse of power in the book Dirty Politics,” said Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei.
“John Key misled New Zealand by saying Dirty Politics was made up, when the IGIS has found that the most damning
allegation in the book was true.
“John Key has degraded the office of the Prime Minister. His close advisor ran a black ops scheme from his office for
years and John Key has pretended not to notice.
“John Key has repeatedly misled New Zealanders about the extent to which he and his close advisors were involved in
using the power of the Prime Minister’s office to manipulate the outcome of elections.
“We need a Royal Commission to investigate the whole matter and clean up politics in New Zealand and restore the
public’s faith in our political system,” said Mrs Turei.