Rank nepotism

John Key, in his response, is saying he is “totally” comfortable with corruption

Spy boss got job after call from PM

Labour has hit out over Prime Minister John Key's involvement in the appointment of spy agency boss Ian Fletcher and says it "reeks of cronyism".

Stuff,

3 March, 2013

But Key said today he was "totally" comfortable with the process.

"Its pretty normal, this is a small country," he said.

Fletcher, head of the secretive Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), was not short-listed for the job at the Government's foreign spy agency - but applied after a phone call from Key.

The short list, drawn up by a recruitment company, was rejected by State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie.

Rennie said in a statement last night he advised the prime minister that in his judgement "none of the potential shortlist was likely to operate at the required level and therefore should not be considered by the panel. The prime minister accepted that advice."

Key than contacted Fletcher, who was subsequently the only candidate interviewed.

The appointment has come under scrutiny since Key revealed last week that he had been acquainted with Fletcher since childhood. Their mothers were best friends.

But Key played down their relationship last week.

Labour deputy leader Grant Robertson said Key's intervention in the appointment process signalled a "disturbing lack of transparency".

"This looks like a jack-up to get John Key's mate appointed as our top spy," Robertson said.

"He was not even an applicant for the job, and ended up being the only person interviewed.

"The public of New Zealand deserve far better than this kind of cronyism, especially in a sensitive position such as this."

Robertson also questioned Key's statement to Parliament that the appointment was made by the State Services Commissioner.

"While it might be that he signed a recommendation, it's very clear now that the prime minister's role in the appointment was significantly greater than he was letting on.

But Key said this morning there was "nothing untoward or unusual" about the process.

"What happened was the State Services Commissioner came to me because I'm the minister in charge of that," Key said.

"So we had four recommendations that came from the head hunter and [Rennie] said none of those I would recommend that you appoint.

"So I said 'what do you want to do', and he said 'we need to find someone else'."

Fletcher was not the only person contacted after that discussion.

"In the end Ian then went through the process, was interviewed by the panel and the panel said he was the best person for the job and has proven in my view to be a very good person for the job," Key said.

"So there's nothing untoward or unusual about that.

"There are plenty of people that contact ministers of the Government and we tell them to go through the process. Ian was just one of those people."

In a statement last night, Key said he told Fletcher to call Sir Maarten Wevers in the first instance - Wevers was head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet at the time.

Wevers was also on the panel, along with defence secretary John McKinnon and deputy state services commissioner Helene Quilter.

Today, Key rubbished suggestions Fletcher was appointed to help out the Government because of the controversy over GCSB spying on internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom was wrong, saying the appointment happened before that.

"The real point here is there is a proper process you go through and that process is going through the State Services Commissioner and going through a panel, and they fully assessed him and psych-tested him and did everything else," the prime minister said.

"Under the nine years of the previous Labour Government are they really telling me there was never a time when they said [to someone] 'look, there's a job coming up you might like to think whether to put your name forward?'."