So, the PM is hinting that his tips about Winston Peters visiting Kim Dotcom 3 times, came from Cameron Slater.
This is the same Slater who said on TV 3’s The Nation that:
Slater: Well, Auckland politics is like where any politics is, in that it’s a dirty, disgusting, despicable game. And it involves dirty, disgusting despicable people at all levels. And to have this sort of high and mighty belief that New Zealand politics is clean, isn’t.
Prime Minister John Key has given his “100 per cent” assurance that intelligence agencies were not spying on Winston Peters, indicating his source was controversial blogger Cameron Slater.
Key revealed today that he speaks regularly with Slater.
[…]
“Contrary to what you might want to believe I can read, it happened to be in the New Zealand Herald, it happened to be on the Whale Oil website, and a member of the public, basically for want of a better term, rang me up and said what was the case,” Key said.
“I assumed it was right, I said it and it turned out to be right.”
He confirmed he and Slater spoke regularly, including this week when they discussed Dotcom, but Key hedged when asked if Slater was his source.
“I wouldn’t say that … I wouldn’t say either way, I’m just telling you it’s not GCSB or SIS.”
Key said he regularly called Slater, who broke the story of the Len Brown affair, “to see what he’s got on his site and mind”.
[…]
“Contrary to what you might want to believe I can read, it happened to be in the New Zealand Herald, it happened to be on the Whale Oil website, and a member of the public, basically for want of a better term, rang me up and said what was the case,” Key said.
“I assumed it was right, I said it and it turned out to be right.”
He confirmed he and Slater spoke regularly, including this week when they discussed Dotcom, but Key hedged when asked if Slater was his source.
“I wouldn’t say that … I wouldn’t say either way, I’m just telling you it’s not GCSB or SIS.”
Key said he regularly called Slater, who broke the story of the Len Brown affair, “to see what he’s got on his site and mind”.
NZ Herald‘s Claire Trevett is also reporting this story.
But, the question remains, who told Slater and who told the Herald gossip columnist?
This is looking like a sophisticated circular shell game. Normally it’s thought that the PM’s office leaks stuff to right wing bloggers.
[Update] Full transcript of the John Key stands up video, “PM’s whale oil ‘friends’ “, on Stuff at the link: there are multiple unidentified interviewers in the video.
Key: A member of the public, basically for want of a better term, rang me up and said what, what was the case. I assumed it was right. I said it. And it turned out to be right. But I can absolutely swear my life on it that there’s been no public agency involved. Nor would there be. And by the way, if there was, that would be an immensely serious thing, that would see the end of myself as prime minister and the end of the government, so, um, I think he’s out to lunch and in Lala land.
Interviewer: Does he need to provide some evidence of that?
Key: I would welcome any evidence he’s got. I would be more than happy to comply with any enquiry. I’m happy for a complete review of GCSB, SIS, every agency I have any involvement with.
Interviewer: Was it a member of the public? Was it somebody that came to you and said “Those things in the paper, they’re true, prime minister, what are you gonna do about it?” How did that happen?
Key: Yeah. They rang me up and said, he’s been out there 3 times, and um, it’s apparently accurate. I said fair enough. I didn’t assume it was that controversial to be honest.
Interviewer: Was Cameron Slater the member of the public that contacted you.
Key: I’m not gonna say who it was. But I can tell you they don’t work for the GCSB or SIS or any other agency.
Interviewer: [?]
Key: Every so often.
Interviewer: Every so often – weekly? Monthly?
Key: Dunno. I’d have to go and look at my files.
Interviewer: When you spoke to him this week did you discuss Kim Dotcom or []?].
Key: Briefly.
Interviewer: So he was your source?
Key: No. I wouldn’t say that.
Interviewer: You would not say “No”?
Key: Well you know. I’m not gonna say either way. I’ll just telling you it’s not GCSB or SIS.
Interviewer: Did you call him or did he call you?
Key: Ohhhh. I rang him. [sucks in breath]
Interviewer: [?]
Key: Well he’s a blog site. He writes. He he, writes a whole lotta stuff I don’t necessarily agree with all of it. I speak to lotsa b
loggersblogsters.Interviewer: [?] with Cameron Slater:
Key: I just know him.
Interviewer: What do you call him for?
Key: Oh cause I talk about lottsa political events. See what he’s got on his site and mind.
Interviewer: How any other bloggers do you speak to on a regular basis?
Key: Heaps.
Interviewer: Why..? heaps? Seriously? So, care to share any of the bloggers that you speak to?
Key: I’m sure you speak to a lot of them as well.
In the Stuff article, Slater is reported a saying:
Slater confirmed he was the source.
“If the prime minister said that’s the case, that’s the case,” Slater said.
Controversies surrounding Slater should not preclude the pair from having a professional relationship, Slater said.
“I’ve got a wide network that’s got across the party spectrum. I’ve got contacts in the Labour Party, I’ve got contacts in the Green Party, I’ve got contacts in the Conservatives, I’ve got insiders in NZ First, I talk to everybody.”
He described his relationship with Key as “professional … where I ask questions and he gives me answers”.
So there’s a slight discrepancy between key saying he rang Slater to chat and see what’s on his site and mind, and Slater saying he asks Key questions and gets answers.
[Update] Stuff audio transcript corrected/edited 15 Feb 2014.
Report from TV 3 News Thurs 13 Feb 2014, 6pm: ‘Key used GCSB to spy on me’ – Winston Peters. Key is asked how he knew Peters had 3 meetings with Kimdotcom.
Extract from video:
Key: Oh well, people tell me things from time to time.
Gower: Who?
Key: Not gonn tell ya.
Key: Don’t need to.
Key: Well, like I say, don’t need to.
Key: From time to time, people see things and from time to time they tell me.
Key: A person told me it was three. I was pretty sure they’d be right because, they often are, and guess what, they were.
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