John Key: I am not actively contacting Cameron Slater

NZ Herald

27 Nov, 2014 04:00 PM2 mins to read

Prime Minister John Key says he has "absolutely not" lied about his contact with right wing blogger Cameron Slater. This week Mr Key twice said he had not been in contact with Slater ahead of the release of Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Cheryl Gwyn's report into the SIS's role in Slater's 2011 political attack on former Labour Leader Phil Goff. However, he was yesterday forced to correct his answer to a question from Labour MP Megan Woods where he said he'd had no contact with Slater about the report ahead of its release. On Tuesday, Mr Key also told reporters he had had no recent contact with Slater.

The Prime Minister was yesterday insisting he does not speak to Cameron Slater in spite of mounting evidence to the contrary and further calls for him to apologise for working with the blogger to attack political opponents.

John Key has had to correct denials that he had been in touch with Slater recently.

That contact took place before the release of a report which detailed co-operation between the right wing blogger and Mr Key's staff to conduct a political smear against former Labour Leader Phil Goff using information supplied by the SIS.

Late on Wednesday night Mr Key released the transcript of a text exchange between himself and Slater which took place on Monday night, before the Tuesday release of Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Cheryl Gwyn's report.

Ms Gwyn's investigation was in response to allegations of a dirty tricks campaign involving Slater, run from Mr Key's office, made in Nicky Hager's book Dirty Politics.

Yesterday, Mr Key said: "In the time since the release of Nicky Hager's book I have never proactively rung or texted Cameron Slater. What I can say is that on a small handful of occasions he's sent me unsolicited texts. I've either not responded to those or I've courteously responded. So in principle I haven't engaged in a dialogue with him."

However, the Monday night text exchange touches on a number of issues, including Slater's belief Mr Goff leaked Ms Gwyn's report, that Labour chief of staff Matt McCarten was involved in hacking Slater's emails and that Labour had plotted against Slater's life.

Mr Key said he'd given Slater his new cellphone number.

He also said he phoned Slater on Wednesday to confirm his recollection of what they discussed in their text exchange.

Labour leader Andrew Little said "The guy cannot tell a straight story.

"It's time to say game over, John. Front up, admit the truth, tell New Zealanders, say sorry and we'll all move on."