Probe into use of private investigators to include MBIE after 1 NEWS report

The State Services Commission has announced it will broaden its investigation into the use of private investigators to include the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Initially the inquiry was to look at the use of private investigators Thompson and Clark by state-owned insurance company Southern Response.

But after evaluating evidence raised in a 1 NEWS story about allegations of spying on Greenpeace by Thompson and Clark and then passing the information onto MBIE, the Government has widened its terms of reference.

It was revealed earlier that Southern Response hired Thompson and Clark to spy on insurance claimants from the Christchurch earthquake.

And this month 1 NEWS obtained documents obtained under the Official Information Act showing a close relationship between Thompson and Clark and MBIE going back five years.

In 2015, Thompson and Clark began supplying MBIE with weekly intelligence reports it was compiling for the oil and gas industry on protest groups, 1 NEWS reported.

It's alleged Thompson and Clark then started using MBIE to drum up more work with foreign oil and mining companies.

Greenpeace said Thompson and Clark  have been spying on them then passing the details to a government department. 

"Questions have been raised about MBIE's relationship with Thompson and Clark and this inquiry will now seek to answer those questions," State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes said today.

"As I said on March 16, separate to this inquiry, I am also looking more broadly at the use of private investigators by State services agencies to assure myself that they are being used in ways that are consistent with the requirements of the State Services Code of Conduct and that the behaviour of the investigators themselves also meets those standards," Mr Hughes said.

The investigation will be conducted using the Commissioner's powers under the State Sector Act, which include the power to require any records, files or other information to be produced, and government employees to answer questions and enter government premises.