Has Shearer's GCSB claim backfired?

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Has Shearer's GCSB claim backfired?

3News NZ

Labour leader David Shearer

Labour leader David Shearer

By Patrick Gower

Labour leader David Shearer says his party has “asked the question” of the Prime Minister, by claiming that John Key was recorded mentioning Kim Dotcom at the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) before the date Mr Key says he first knew about the man behind Megaupload.

But an increasingly stressed Mr Shearer now faces serious questions himself. The central one is: was a recording actually made? Did the GCSB tape ever actually exist?

Mr Shearer claims it did, so 3 News asked Mr Shearer's Labour colleagues if they knew where the tape was.

Labour MP Trevor Mallard says he doesn’t know.

“I don't know if it does exist, I’ve seen no evidence of it existing - but I know John Key told lies,” he says.

And if Mr Shearer was looking for support and undivided loyalty, he didn't get it from leadership rival David Cunliffe.

“I haven't had that information - I’m not sure what information he's got,” Mr Cunliffe says. “I have no idea.”

In Parliament today, Mr Key implied Mr Shearer was backing away from his claim.

“Now he says it’s not about the video – apparently it's not about the video.”

Labour MP Andrew Little – another Labour leadership rival – thinks the tape has been deleted, but other Labour MPs aren't sure what is going on.

“I've had a gutsful in my career of talking about video tapes – believe you me,” says Shane Jones.

Darien Fenton says it’s a question “for Mr Key to answer”.

But Mr Shearer really did struggle to explain himself today.

“I am not going to be talking about my sources, thank you.”

What Mr Shearer is really missing in this saga is a smoking gun – a tape, evidence, proof – that will show the Prime Minister up. But Mr Shearer has largely failed on that front – and Mr Key knows it.

3 News

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Comments

21/10/2012 9:25:51 a.m.

Fair NZER wrote:

With Mr Shearer really did struggle to explain himself today, Labour really need to look for a more capable leader, say Ms Ardern, who can handle John Key.....no ifs or buts.

17/10/2012 3:24:07 p.m.

dennis wrote:

In no way has Mr Shearer's claim "backfired", as Len May has pointed out. As usually happens, despite acting unlawfully (committing crimes) high-flying lawyers like David Collins and the Acting Director of the Government Communications Security Bureau will be covered without moral purpose until someone with moral dignity stands up and proclaims he has heard an "orchestrated litany of lies". Mistakes don't mitigate and are not believable, particularly when this guy helped draft the GCSB Act

17/10/2012 9:59:00 a.m.

dennis wrote:

In my opinion it will be highly unlikely that espionage ceased when Neazor was told it did. As soon as the Court allowed the Megaupload four access to the internet again the FBI would have been keen to read every email and listen to every conversation. If protected communication with lawyers have been intercepted that not only would blow a spy agency out of the water, but the case against megaupload.com as well. Mr Shearer and David Parker may raise such issues in Parliament without fear of reprisal against any informant under the GCSB Act or similar. The existence of such interception on behalf of a foreign regime would amount to nothing less than treason by traitors to New Zealand laws and process

17/10/2012 8:12:11 a.m.

jan.. wrote:

Something fishy between the Maori Rights to water with the Key to what said about Dotcom that was caught on camera.

16/10/2012 9:46:58 p.m.

Len May wrote:

The TV3 coverage of Key's confession is one of the worst examples of trivialisation of news I have ever seen. The significant news is that the Prime Minister admitted that he misled Parliament, unintentionally he claims.
TV3 focuses on Shearer's video tape claims back-firing. The tape is inconsequentisl. The fact that an informant said it existed forced the Prime Minister to admit he had not told the truth. THAT's the news story.

16/10/2012 9:42:07 p.m.

banana skin wrote:

Obviously the GCSB leak has been identified and "liquidated" and Shearer has been left in mid air. He should have got the tape before going public. Hard to imagine that a spy agency that is in the business of recording and monitoring would not record comments by the Prime Minister... especially one who is so slippery and two-faced.

16/10/2012 8:54:08 p.m.

jabba wrote:

the Labour MP's have just hung their leader out to dry

16/10/2012 7:08:37 p.m.

Whaleoil wrote:

Shearer won;t talk about his sources, but apparently Keith Ng will blog their details

16/10/2012 7:00:27 p.m.

dennis wrote:

If Key can not categorically deny then what is he saying? This is for a judge to decide. It is not up to the police or a QC to preempt a matter, or determine what each party’s knowledge of the law was. Dr Norman has laid a complaint. Bill English and Chris Finlayson have committed an offence. If Ian Fletcher was in office at the time of eavesdropping he has too. The Prime Minister's involvement will be revealed within that matter in front of a District Court Judge. If the police delay further someone needs to file the Information without their involvement. That person should be David Parker, the opposition Attorney General of the time. At least he can't get kicked out of that proceeding! For the sake of clarity what offence did Chris Finlayson commit? "Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years who intentionally intercepts any private communication by means of an interception device.... Does not apply where the person intercepting the private communication does so pursuant to, and in accordance with the terms of, any authority conferred on him or her by or under—the Government Communications Security Bureau Act 2003". The GCSB Act did not confer the power, as at least 2 persons were residents of New Zealand. Armed with illicitly gained (by spying) information he unlawfully sought warrants to seize and search and illegally restrained property. Keep in mind that this lawyer is astute – with a capitol ‘A’ - enough to determine that one of his ex colleagues, Bill Wilson, was of such brilliance and stature that he should sit on the Supreme Court of New Zealand Bench in preference to any other existing Judge of the High or Appeal Court