No S.I.S. bug in rooms

Press, 9 August 1980, Page 2

No S.I.S. bug in rooms

PA Wellington The Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) gave an assurance in Parliament yesterday that the Security Intelligence Service did not “bug” the Opposition’s rooms. But he said he could not give Any assurance that nb-one else was bugging them. Mr Muldoon was answering a question by Mr R. K. Maxwell (Lab;, Waitakere) who' asked if the Prime Minister, as - Minister in

charge of the 5.1.5., could a.ssure the . House that the Opposition caucus room, and the rooms of Opposition members and their secretarial and research staff, were not bugged. Mr Muldoon replied “No. I can assurethe House, however, that the S.I.S. has no bugging device on the premises referred to.” Mr Maxwell a,sked if the Cabinet and Ministers’ offices • were protected against foreign and commercial espionage.

Mr Muldoon: That’s a matter on which I a.m not prepared to give any public information. If the Opposition was worried about someone bugging its rooms, he could arrange for technicians to have a look at them, he said. Mr N. P. H. Jones (N?,t., Invercargill): You’d have to dig out the S.U.P. moles. Mr Muldoon said, “Frankly, on a cost benefit basis, I can’t imagine why anyone would want to bug the place.”