M.P. and ‘security men’

Press, 24 May 1977, Page 6

M.P. and ‘security men’

PA Auckland Three United States Dep-uty-Consuls in Auckland during the 1960 s were engaged in security work, says a former Labour M.P., Dr Michael Bassett. He said yesterday that they openly confessed to checking on Left-wing activities in Auckland, especially during the Vietnam War protests, and one quizzed Mr Bassett on the contents of his New Zealand Security Intelligence Service file. Dr Bassett said that ‘he Prune Minister (Mr Muldoon) was "admitting to something less than the full story” when he told a week-end meeting in Auckland that “the C.I.A. does not operate in New Zealand — it has not operated in New Zealand.” Dr Bassett said that the three men were Mr Dick Thompson (1961), Mr Jitn Bishop (1964-66). and Mr Stephen Lyne (1966). The U.S. Consulate yesterday confirmed that the three men had served in Auckland. Dr Bassett met Mr Thompson in May, 1961, when he was called in over a visa application following the award of a Duke University fellowship to study in the United States. “He said he was in touch with the N.Z. S.I.S. and had information from my file. He then asked for comments on information in the file.” The next “security man” Dr Bassett encountered was Bishop. “I got to know him

quite well, he said his job was security work. “He used to go to all Leftwing meetings in Auckland. He used to take down everything that was said, in shorthand. “I remember walking up Queen Street in August, 1965, during the Horoshima Day march with him. He kept asking who this person was and saying, ‘that's so and so, he’s a Communist isn’t he?” “When I asked him why he was asking all these questions he said it was his job to report on Left-wing activity in Auckland.” Dr Bassett said that one of Mr Bishop’s successors was Mr Stephen Lyne, who had a doctorate in French history from Berkeley University, California. “He told me his job was getting security information and reporting back on Leftwing activity. “Once when I was in the consulate he showed me a huge file of newspaper clippings. He had entire letters columns of the local papers. Anything relating to my campaign in 1966. This would have been in March or April, 1967, when I was applying to go on an American Council of Learned Societies grant to the United States.” “This was information he was sending back to the State Department. ! “They were quite open about it. If they weren’t C.LA. I they were doing security work for the State Depart-

ment. What’s in a name. ] “To say, as Mr Muldoon says, that these fellows are not engaged in security work in New Zealand is patently incorrect. I think it is high time Mr Muldoon came clean and told the full story.” Mr Muldoon said yesterday: “I have made it quite clear that I have kept myself informed as Minister of what.is happening. “The information I have been given I have no reason to doubt.” the PA reports. The Prime Minister said that he had been told about the one C.LA. liaison officer working in New Zealand by two directors of the S.I.S. In answer to a question. Mr Muldoon agreed that there was nothing to fear from the presence of the C.LA. in this capacity. But he added in answer to further questions: “Obviously if this information is incorrect then I would be disturbed,” adding, however. that he had every confidence that the information he had was correct. Mr Muldoon described the former C.LA. agents who had made the revelations of the agency’s involvement in Australia and New Zealand as “a group of defectors.” “As I understand it all the information we have is al- ' legations.” he declared. The Prime Minister said that a much more important security question was that of “mindless terrorism,” against which the Government was intensifying its action.