I have made my views clear on the inquiry into “leaks” here. If the PM is looking for an hysterical reaction that he accused the media of, then this is it. Leaks and politics go hand in hand. Coin Espiner sums it up well here. There will always be exceptions of course. The leaks of recent days have nothing in comparison to the leak of the Telecom material under the last government which had direct implications for the stock market.
But what fascinates me is that in the last couple of weeks there have been three leaks of government information. The stuff on the mining of national parks, the mergers in the state sector, and this piece from the Sunday Star Times last week outlining in some detail the government’s tax plan. For some reason this leak is not being investigated by the government. On the surface it would seem to be the one that would most merit an investigation. Leaking of Budget sensitive information used to be an issue that would lead to resignations.
Could it be that this is a different kind of leak? Where the source is just a little closer to home? Who I am kidding, the article says where it is from
A spokesman for Finance Minister Bill English would not confirm any of the numbers the Star-Times had obtained from a government source(emphasis added), saying no final decisions have been made.
Looks like a fairly clear case to add to your investigation, Mr Ryall?
The media media have done a pretty good job on this one I think. Every report I have seenor heard has highlighted Ryall’s own penchant for working with leaks.
It’s certainly very interesting to note how many and how early in their term the leaks are happening. I remember when they criticised Clark for an iron grip on Public Services and how they (National) would allow the public service to voice opinions… I guess not if they feel they have to leak?
This government is unravelling, hoist on it own petard precisely because, in my opinion, they campaign on lies. Their strategy was to push hot buittons, say what needed to be said to get power, pretend they had changed when what they wanted changed was who wa sin power. So many fell for it. Now they find they are contradicting themselves. Either they are incompetent or their real agenda is slipping out.
In litigation there is a famous question, which every lawyer delights in the opportunity to say to a witness
“Were you lying then or are you lying now?”
The Sunday Star Times article is surely an example of an orchestrated leak, where Governments “leak” so they can gague public reaction with time to make any adjustments before the official policy announcement?
@Tracey. Absolutely, that is an orchestrated leak. And it serves to highlight the hypocricy of the whole investigation exercise.
I think the public service leaking is a shameful thing. It’s a fundamentmal breach of trust and constitutionally arrogant. It’s our elected officials who make policy – not bureaucrats. Inside government the bureacrats contribute to policy formulation by providing free and frank. It’s not they’re job to engage in the business of politics. As someone who aspires to high office, I am surprised you’re so sanguine about this. One day it might be you who’s being shat on by some faceless leaker. Worse still, you may be the one dealing with issues publicly way before you had worked it through in detail. I think leakers ought to be found out and drummed out with no mercy.
Agreed that leak was orchestrated
Unpleasantly Odouriferous: well said – I agree.
Someone clearly has it in for Key. I thought he was made of teflon?
I agree Odoriferous that any public servant that leaks has to accept that they have seriously contravened their employment contract and should expect to face serious consequences for such actions if caught.
I wonder though, are these leaks necessarily from the public service? The information that got into the ‘Sunday star times’ came from a government source. It is possible that the other leaks could have come from a government minister rather than a public servant.
The ‘Hollow men’ indicated, and the resulting police inquiry didn’t find any evidence of an alternative, that there is or are high-level leakers in the National party. If we look at the time line of the information provided by that or those leakers, it would suggest leaking became an option for these unknown people around the time Bill English was rolled as leader, and Dr Nick Smith lost the Deputy Leader of the National party position.
To quote your press release Grant “The government has sat on the discussion document on mining in the conservation estate for some time now, depriving New Zealanders of the full picture regarding their plans.”
I think the question is, who would leak that sort of information?
It’s hard to expect loyalty from the public service, when they know more than we how much the government is lying to the public. Governments get the loyalty they deserve, they command respect from those they work with or they lose it. If they have to assert their authority to intimidate people into compliance with their hidden from the public agenda they are barely operating via the democratic process and they should be exposed.
And you also have to wonder what the pay-off is for the leaker, especially re the Sunday Star Times Article – it is hardly information that is going to turn the voter away from National.
My guess is that the tax information especially was tinkered then leaked as according to the news websites this morning, the tax cuts may be even less significant than those rushed through by Labour at the end of their term.
Saying the Government plans to reduce tax more than what is actually the case means that their actual policy will look like they are back-tracking – see this story:
http://www.3news.co.nz/Govt-may-back-track-on-personal-tax-cuts/tabid/419/articleID/147074/Default.aspx
I must say I think any government that is deliberately hiding information from the public that is relevant to public knowledge should expect it to be leaked. The public service should work for the people not for the government of the day. I would say hiding information from the public is far more a political move than releasing information they have a right to know. The tax information is information that is not up to the public service to release along with core things like defence and security. Mining National Parks though? Hardly sensitive information, it is information the public has a right to know even if it is just plans and should not be hidden.
I also noticed the tax leak was not even considered for investigation which is suspicious. I personally am also suspicious whether these other two leaks were really public servants or not also.
Good thinking Rebecca. There is a degree to which the current government is using the entire nation as a focus group. It seems to give out a message, then go back on itself when the public response to the message is negative. Like there isn’t any real plan.
As for the significance of the tax cuts, the information so far seems to indicate that the tax cuts promised by John Key in 2008 of being ‘North of $50″, will work out to be “North of $50″ if you earn around $180,000 per annum or more.
So, not all that much for most taxpayers then.
Yes so in that case it will very much be cuts for the few and not the many while the many suffer the effects of GST. All I want is someone to have the balls to recognise that families on $70-100k are not rich. That’s all (oh and make the tax & acc systems fairer etc etc etc).
And then there is a question again of who is the person doing all the leaking – I too, now that I think about it, very much doubt it is anyone in the public sector and as for the government, well I doubt it’s Bill English as this particularly leak and then the news stories reported today don’t exactly put him in a favourable light. Whoever is doing it is trying to score points and elevate their own status otherwise, why bother?
Funny then that this Government doesnt support Whistleblower legislation. I dont know Labour’s stanc eon it. BUT this kind of legislation enables leaks in the public interest with job security… as far as you can with all the skullduggery about.
And then there is a question again of who is the person doing all the leaking
That’s what I was thinking Rebecca. The numbers of public servants that would know this information, when a document like this is prepared for ministers at this level, is actually very small. It would take no time to list their names and have a word with them. At that level, these are people with a great deal to lose if discovered; at the very least they would lose their careers.
Now if a minister leaks information, suspicion on public servants serve both the minister (diverts blame from their office) and the government (no government wants to look divided). It also means if an inquiry finds no culprit – the matter is generally forgotten.
I missed the early parts of the Leak story but didn’t one of the interviewees comment on the information came from the “Minister” I thought meaning Tony Ryall? Wish my memory was better but….
The way to stop leaks is to release the information early on. The longer you hold onto information or the more indecisive you are the more opportunity you give your opponents.
What happened with the investigation into Paula Bennetts ‘leaking’ of the beneficiaries details?
The govt. should not be hiding the development of policy or any information that the govt. has. There are only a few exceptions to this (national securtiy, stock market implications etc.) the mining and the state sector leaks don’t fall into the exceptions category and therefore it should have been public information anyway. Good on the leakers I say. What’s there to hide?? They are voted in to develope policy, I want to see what information they use to develope it…
Darren
I posted about P Bennet and PC on the other thread.
Interesting Herald editorial on the Leak. Hits the nail on the head. Perhaps the tide is turning and some media have finally seen the smirk which masquerades as a smile?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10633188
[...] Grant has done a good post on the SST budget leak. [...]