The Herald has a big piece on the SIS's unlawful use of customs data, which includes the first comment by SIS Minister Andrew Little on the matter:
Gwyn seems to have eschewed diplomatic niceties for the benefit of plain-speaking. It is not common to have oversight watchdogs speaking so bluntly.
And when Gwynn does speak so, the agencies' minister Andrew Little has reminded Kitteridge that she is obliged to listen.
"The Inspector General is the final and independent active oversight of these agencies.
When she reports, that's the bottom line.
"If the Inspector General is saying something is unlawful, it is for the agencies to step in line with what she says."
Which is what you'd expect a Minister to say. The problem is that here, the SIS has systematically refused to listen, and obstructed the Inspector-General's investigation (which is a crime). There need to be consequences for that, so that they actually get the fucking message. Unfortunately, where Little could be laying down the law and making examples, he is silent. Which is not a good sign that this will be the last case of unlawful behaviour by our spies, or that their culture of impunity will change.
