A United States diplomatic cable made public as part of the release of secret documents by website WikiLeaks indicates the New Zealand-US intelligence relationship was fully restored last year, but the news was kept secret.
The cable from the US embassy
A United States diplomatic cable made public as part of the release of secret documents by website WikiLeaks indicates the New Zealand-US intelligence relationship was fully restored last year, but the news was kept secret.
The cable from the US embassy in Wellington was written in early January ahead of a visit by Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, the Sunday Star Times reported today.
The secret cable, one of a number obtained by the newspaper, says intelligence relations were fully restored in August 2009, but that fact should not be acknowledged in public.
Green MP Keith Locke today slammed the Government for hiding the fact.
"Such critical information on our relations with the world's superpower should not be kept from New Zealanders," the Green Party's foreign affairs spokesperson said.
"It seems the Key Government wanted to avoid any public backlash following such an announcement.
"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.
"It is unacceptable that the resumption of intelligence ties took place behind the backs of the New Zealand people - and was even kept from Parliament."
The US imposed restrictions on the supply of intelligence in the 1980s in response to New Zealand's nuclear-free policy.
