5. KEITH LOCKE (Green) Link to this
to the Minister for State Owned Enterprises
What actions, if any, has he taken in response to the revelations on 27 May that private investigators acting for a State-owned enterprise had hired spies to infiltrate and undermine protest groups; and can he now assure New Zealanders that all State-owned enterprises have ceased this practice?
Hon ANNETTE KING (Acting Minister for State Owned Enterprises) Link to this
The Acting Minister for State Owned Enterprises wrote to all State-owned enterprises, clearly specifying the expectation that “All SOEs operate to the highest standard of ethical behaviour and therefore they do not use paid informants as part of their security arrangements.” As a result of this action, I am advised that no State-owned enterprise currently uses paid informants.
Flowing from that answer, can the Minister assure us that the chair of each State-owned enterprise has actually replied directly to the Minister, assuring the Minister that no such spying is going on or has gone on?
I am informed that all 18 State-owned enterprises have responded to the Acting Minister for State Owned Enterprises, stating that they are not using paid informants.
Will the Minister, in the light of his concern that spying is “not acceptable, whether or not it is illegal or not, it goes over the limit of what we expect in New Zealand.”, have a meeting with the victims of the particular spying—the Save Happy Valley Coalition—which he has so far declined to do?
I would suggest that those who feel aggrieved by the actions of State-owned enterprises that undertook paid spying, as the member has said, should approach the Minister for a meeting, and I am sure he will respond.
What is the exact nature of the response that the Minister has received from the Solid Energy board since he phoned the chairman, John Spencer, on 28 May to express his concern about spying; and has he seen reports of when the board met, whether it discussed the particular spying, and what the outcome of that board meeting was?
I am advised that Solid Energy is to hold a board meeting in early July, so the board meeting that was promised has not yet been held. But there has been a response from Solid Energy, which advised that it does not currently use paid informants.