Labour to Review Intelligence Agencies

Labour is hinting that it would review all New Zealand intelligence agencies if it became the Government.

Deputy Leader Grant Robertson, speaking today on TV3’s “The Nation” said Labour was going to have to have a look at where things were at in terms of our wider security agencies.

“Let's remember the reason these questions came up is because of discussions about the Kim dot com case and how it was that the Prime Minister, the minister in control of the GCSB somehow didn’t find out for six months about unlawful spying<” he said.

“That’s how these questions started.

“So there obviously are a lot of issues to debate about the future of our security agencies, but the bottom line is, New Zealanders need to have confidence that people with such enormous power as the security agencies are operating in a way that is completely in line with the law, and that they know that it isn't politicised as such. 

“That’s the perception that’s now changing”

Mr Robertson said he was the sure the party would address the wider picture and how intelligence services were working.

NO PROBLEMS GETTING MANAPOURI POWER TO AUCKLAND

Transpower says it can easily get Manapouri power to Auckland if the Tiwai Point smelter had to close.

Speaking today on TV3’s “The Nation”, Transpower’s CEO, Patrick Strange it was to possible to get “anything we like out of the South Island. “

“ The only small constraint is between the Waitaki Valley and what we call the lower South Island which is Roxburgh and South, so we've got the Clutha, Manapouri etc<” he said.

“ We can push about 600 megawatts south or north on that now.

“ If something happened at Tiwai and it disappeared tomorrow, we had a huge fire, we'd spill a little bit of water for a couple of years but in reality it's not going to shut quickly. 

“We've got a project approved on the books which will enhance that link in the lower South Island, which will mean Manapouri's just part of the national grid. 

“So we don’t see any issues with Tiwai closing.”

And Mr Strange said Transpower didn’t see any issues over the Cook Strait cables if the smelter closed.

“After we've completed the work this year will be capable of 1200 megawatts north and south, and part of the reason that the enhancement occurred was because we all know Tiwai will go some day, and we're quite public about that. 

The work we're doing in the lower South Island at the moment and it's approved, one of the scenarios was Tiwai would leave in 2022.” 

ENDS

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