The public was not told about full intelligence sharing with the United States resuming last year because the Government does not comment on national security, Prime Minister John Key says.Some WikiLeaks diplomatic cables about New Zealand were released o
The public was not told about full intelligence sharing with the United States resuming last year because the Government does not comment on national security, Prime Minister John Key says.
Some WikiLeaks diplomatic cables about New Zealand were released over the weekend.
The cables talk about sensitivity and secrecy around closer military relations during former Prime Minister Helen Clark's reign, but that while she was initially reserved her attitude shifted.
Among the cables was one which said Mr Key was personally pro-American.
A cable talks about an agreement to keep secret a decision to fully restore the New Zealand-United States intelligence relationship which happened in August last year.
That secrecy was lifted by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when she commented on it in October last year. Other cables indicate Mrs Clinton's announcement of resumed intelligence ties was inadvertent, because she had been advised in January last year -- shortly before she was due to visit New Zealand, a trip that was postponed -- not to say anything about it.
Other cables indicated moves to increase the "defence engagement" in early 2008, with both governments agreeing publicity should be avoided.
Green Party MP Keith Locke said it was unacceptable that the resumption of intelligence ties was kept from the public and Parliament.
"Kiwis are proud of our nuclear-free stance, and our refusal to join the invasion of Iraq, and don't want us to get fully into bed with the United States government," he said.
Mr Key defended today secrecy around the move.
"We just don't comment on those things, once you start where do you stop?" he said on Newstalk ZB.
And on TVNZ's Breakfast show he said that the Government did not talk about national security because that would not be in the best interests of New Zealanders.
"Going out there and saying we've resumed that level of exchange of information would then invite a whole lot of other questions which we are not in a position to answer.
"There are a whole lot of things we can't or don't answer just for the protection of New Zealanders there's nothing terribly secret about it in that regard, but it is something we don't talk about."
Mr Key said overall the cables showed a pattern of improved relationships.
"It says the relationship is going from strength to strength because we've restored the intelligence sharing capability we have to its maximum point."
