The SIS is pretty good at checking people’s backgrounds, its just that they are looking at the wrong people.
The agency kept a close eye on me for 50 years, deeming me a great danger to the state. Last year the SIS sent a copy of their file on me. I have to be careful not to strain my back when carrying it around.
But when it came to checking up on someone who might actually have state secrets, Defence
Technology Agency boss Stephen Wilce
, it seems that the SIS barely bothered.
John Key
said today
that the SIS role is not to check CVs, which seems a bit odd when they are dealing with someone is moving into a top security job. By contrast, the SIS was always very interested in my CV, and my file shows they talked to employers about me.
I have a couple of suggestions for the SIS. Instead of doing thousands of vets on civil servants who are not privy to real secrets, why not concentrate your resources on the few who do. And stop targetting lefties and Greenies. You might find that you have more problems with conservative types, like Maryanne Thompson, the Immigration head who lied about her PhD, and Mr Wilce.
It is good that the Defence Minister, the Defence Force, and the recruitment agency Momentum Consulting agency, are inquiring into shortcomings in the Wilce case. Surely, it would also be appropriate for the State Services Commission to also step in. So far it has declined to do so.