Young, Reliable "Activists" Outed as Corporate Spooks [1]
Submitted by Bob Burton [2] on
A private investigation company, Thompson & Clark Investigations [3], employed agents to infiltrate environmental, peace and animal rights groups in New Zealand, investigative journalist Nicky Hager has revealed. One of the company's clients was the government-owned coal company Solid Energy [4]. A student was paid NZ$400 a month to infiltrate and report on the activities of Save Happy Valley [5], a group opposing a new coal mine. One task was to provide information on the group's legal strategies in response to being sued by Solid Energy [6] over a spoof corporate social responsibility [7] report. The Chief Executive Officer of Solid Energy, Don Elder [8], is unapologetic: "What do I think about it? So what? If Thompson & Clark had got someone to do the things you've said, then I would say good on them." The State-Owned Enterprises minister, Trevor Mallard, told [9] Solid Energy that the spying operation is "unacceptable." However, Solid Energy has only said [10] that it will consider the issue at its next board meeting.