Aust. interest in N.Z. spy report

Press, 17 November 1976, Page 7

Aust. interest in N.Z. spy report

NZPA Canberra Australia's Minister for Administrative Services (Senator Withers) says he hopes the New Zealand Government will pass on to the Australian Government findings on Soviet spy activities by New Zealand’s Chief Ombudsman (Sir Guy Powles), Senator Withers was replying in the Senate to the Tasmanian independent, Senator Harradine, who said that, based on Sir Guy’s findings, it could be reasonably assumed that there were up to 36 official Soviet intelligence operatives in Australia, plus a number of agents not attached to the offical structure, and an even larger number of agents in Left-wing organisations. emigre groups and the like. (In his report on New Zealand’s Secret Intelligence Service, Sir Guy said experience overseas had shown that up to 60 per cent of staff of Soviet diplomatic missions abroad consisted of intelligence officers.) Senator Harradine also asked if Senator Withers had seen a report that a former Pravda correspondent. in Australia, Mr Yuri Yasnav, had been identified as a K.G.B. contact man with the I.R.A. terrorist group in Dublin.

Senator Withers said he doubted if anyone knew anything about the Fiavda correspondent, but said he would see if he could find some information. He told Senator Harradine that a decision on whether or not the report

of the Australian Royal Commission into security and intelligence services was made public, would be made by the Prime Minister (Mr Malcolm Fraser).