ZB ZB
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Listen to NAME OF STATION
Up next
Listen live on
ZB

PM accused of telling "porkies" over Whale Oil texts

Author
Felix Marwick,
Publish Date
Thu, 27 Nov 2014, 5:09AM
(Photo: Getty Images and NZ Herald)
(Photo: Getty Images and NZ Herald)

PM accused of telling "porkies" over Whale Oil texts

Author
Felix Marwick,
Publish Date
Thu, 27 Nov 2014, 5:09AM

UPDATED 5.06pm: Parliament has been told there's nothing at all weird about John Key deleting his text messages with Cameron Slater.

Mr Key last night had to ask the blogger for a record of their texts, after admitting he was wrong to tell Parliament they'd had no contact this week.

Answering questions in the House on the prime minister's behalf, Steven Joyce has been grilled over why John Key deleted the texts in the first place.

Mr Joyce said John Key deletes all his text messages, in case his phone gets lost.

Key denies brain fade

John Key's putting down his denial of sending texts to right wing blogger Cameron Slater as misunderstanding a question.

On Tuesday Mr Key was being questioned about his communication with Mr Slater and said Mr Slater sent him a text one time but he couldn't remember when that was.

But the Prime Minister had in fact received the text just the previous night.

Today he's saying Mr Slater's sent him unsolicited texts and he's either not responsible or he's sent a courteous reply.

So Mr Key's now saying in principle he hasn't engaged in a dialogue with Mr Slater but he says it's very difficult to stop someone sending an unsolicited form a communication.

"I wasn't going to give a specific time, because as I made it quite clear a while ago, I'm not going to be specific like that. I haven't had a brain fade, I just made it quite clear I wasn't going to be specific."

Labour leader Andrew Little is accusing John Key of misleading the country after he denied in question time yesterday that he'd had contact with Mr Slater around the time of the release of reports into the SIS and Judith Collins.

Just hours later, Mr Key had to correct that answer, acknowledging there had been an exchange of texts over the SIS report.

MORE: Key releases Slater texts

Cameron Slater is backing up John Key's revised version of events.

"I simply told him who the leak was of the IGIS report and he acknowledged that, it was a very short exchange, and that was it."

Cameron Slater says he gave the Prime Minister permission to release the text exchanges between him and John Key.

Mr Key had to backtrack in Parliament yesterday and acknowledge he did exchange texts with Cameron Slater ahead of the release of a report into the SIS.

Cameron Slater says he doesn't think text exchanges between him and John Key should stop.

"Frankly as a private person I can speak to whoever I want, and as the Prime Minister, just as John Howard once said when he was attacked, he's the PM for all Australians and he can speak to whoever he wants. John Key is in the same position."

Mr Slater says his relationship with the Prime Minister is simply one of occasional text messages.

Mr Little says people will draw their own conclusions, but it looks like a lie to him.

The Labour leader's slamming Mr Key for having any contact with Mr Slater, whom he describes as the next most toxic thing to Kim Dotcom during the election.

"It shows to me that we have a Prime Minister who has no ethical bottom lines at all. No integrity, no moral fibre, he just carries on as if there is no difference. This is very disturbing, New Zealanders should be worried."

Labour's now demanding the Inspector General of Intelligence and Security widen her investigations into the early disclosure of her SIS report.

Cheryl Gwyn's already indicating she'll talk to Phil Goff over admissions he talked to media.

Now Mr Little wants the enquiries extended to cover the Prime Minister.

"He has been in communication with Cameron Slater about this report prior to its embargo and that now needs to be inquired into."

Hefty fines and potential prison terms are penalties that could be imposed for the early release of information from an inquiry into the SIS.

The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security's confirmed she's looking the early disclosure of parts of her report and will be seeking information from Phil Goff and others.

It's an offence to publish or broadcast the details of an IGIS inquiry, without the consent of the SIS's Minister.

Individuals can be fined up to $10,000 and sent to jail for a year - companies can be fined up to $50,000.

Whale Oil blogger ridiculed over Labour allegations

Ridicule is coming the way of blogger Cameron Slater and his claim the Labour Party has tried to kill him.

The allegation was revealed in publicly released texts between him and the Prime Minister

New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters is dismissive of Mr Slater's claim.

"I don't think people take Cameron seriously.

"He does of course.

"He owned the last election and in a funny way his behaviour did."

Mr Peters says the Prime Minister came to Parliament, didn't tell the truth and got found out.

"So he's been caught out, fair and square, telling a porkie."

Greens join attack:

The Greens are joining the chorus of political disapproval being raised against the Prime Minister.

Green Party Co-leader Metiria Turei isn't buying the PM's excuse.

"It's just not credible to suggest that John Key did not know he was being asked about the Inspector General's report and his conversation with Cameron Slater."

"He still denied the fact that he had been in contact with Cameron Slater at all. In fact he texted him the day before and had a wee conversation with his friend Cameron Slater. This is the problem, John Key can no longer be trusted on anything he says."

Bizarre backtrack from Slater

Cameron Slater is backtracking on a text that suggests figures within the Labour Party tried to kill him.

The Whaleoil blogger made the claim in a Monday night text exchange with John Key.

The texts were revealed after the Prime Minister returned to Parliament last night to correct an earlier denial, and confirm he had been in touch with Cameron Slater.

Today the blogger's written - just to be clear, I never said the Labour Party were trying to kill me. That's the spin the Labour Party have put on it.

Labour leader Andrew Little is rubbishing claims from a right-wing blogger, that Labour tried to kill him, and that the party was involved in hacking his emails.

Andrew Little says the suggestion that his chief of staff, Matt McCarten, is a hacker, is bizarre.

"He's a very talented man in many way but computer skills is not one of them.

"He's one of these people, who I like very much but he struggles to open his emails in the morning.

"As for the plot to kill, well, it's fantasy land stuff."

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you