Today I have written to the State Services Commissioner asking whether he intends to inquire into the leaking of information about the Law Commission’s report into alcohol laws and policy, which was offically released today.
To recap on what happened last week, on Thursday a post appeared on Kiwiblog where David Farrar breathlessly informed readers that he had the scoop on the recommendations from the Law Commission. Now we know that the government and the State Services Commissioner take a very dim view of leaks from the public service. Just a month or so back they launched inquiries into the leaking of information on mining of Schedule four lands and public sector mergers. One would think that this also represents a significant unauthorised release of public information. That is unless it is not unauthorised of course?
Anyway, this will be a fairly easy investigation of course. Because in his eagerness DPF has told us
Details of the report have leaked out, and I can exclusively (emphasis added) reveal some of these
The Commissioner just needs to give David a call, and I am sure his enthusiasm for upholding the conventions of good government will see him spill the beans.
My only concern here is that the government and the State Services Commissioner seemed a lot less interested in the leaking of Budget information than the other inquiries.
But a leak is a leak. Of course DPF could clear the whole thing about right now by telling us where the leak came from?
Can it be a leak when its come from ‘the office’ of the Minister of Justice?
It’s not as easy as most people think to track down leaks….anonymous emails, internet cafes , proxy cover…
If the SSC ask, I’ll just tell them you gave it to me Grant
stephensmikm: quite right. Assumption: they have at least some technical idea what they are doing.
@David. Now that would be Iain Rennie’s worst nightmare, you and I working together on a leak. Nothing more for us, a hint, a clue even?
@loota
if you’re putting yourself at criminal and civil liability I think you’d make sure to cover your butt a little
Like going to an anonymous internet cafe and paying for their time with their personal EFTPOS card…
Sure, if someone is going to do something like this hopefully they will do it marginally competently.
The Budget is coming up . Will Farrars ‘Pravdablog’ have any more secrets- exclusive of course.?
Some of us remember Mr Farrars outrage over the cocktail party recordings of Bill English speaking frankly. That was so underhand, especially when you have less than pure motives
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/11/kees_keizer-2.html.
He even ran a a little post
Who Dun it ?
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2008/08/who_dun_it-2.html
Exposing Bill English as two faced – even before he took office and removed any doubt just doesnt go well in Pravdablog.
And wont get started on the leaked emails- was the LC report ‘stolen’, we must have a police investigation immediately
Leaks as such are not all alike. Secrets between parties are not all alike either.
There are moral judgements to be made about some secrets where the publics right to know is plain.
Leaks are used for political gain by both sides and one party is noted for its use of “leaks” to soften up the public for their own purposes.
When the leaks are lies or used to mislead the public then we should be concerned.