Shearer's GCSB claim backfires as names named

Labour leader David Shearer is struggling to defend his GCSB allegations as reports out his source as the partner of his chief spin doctor, former TVNZ political reporter Fran Mold.

Veteran political journalist Barry Soper revealed on NewstalkZB today Ms Mold's partner has "connections" to the GCSB.

"That's where the party's information has come from that when Prime Minister John Key was briefed at the GCSB in February, he spoke to the spies in a cafeteria," he says.

Reports which said there may have been a video recording of Mr Key's talk to the staff, wasn't the case,  according to Mr Key, Mr Soper says.

Mr Key's view is reinforced by the former cabinet secretary Rebecca Kitteridge – sent in to check the venue – who says still photos were taken but she is not releasing them because they identify staff.

Usually well-connected blogger Cameron "WhaleOil" Slater picked up on Mr Soper's story, identifying Ms Mold's partner as a spy who left the GCSB in March for a job at "Primary Industries".

Mr Slater says Ms Mold's partner is "very good friends with Agent 'G', who must be sitting at his desk waiting for all hell to decend upon him wishing he had never met either [Redacted] or Fran".

Mr Shearer continued to claim a video recording exist – but might have been deleted – of Mr Key making quips about Kim Dotcom while talking to GCSB staff in their staff cafe on February 29.

This is despite, Mr Key saying he does not remember any mention of Kim Dotcom then.

GCSB boss Ian Fletcher says searches of the organisation's records have not recovered any audio-visual recording of the prime minister's February 29 visit.

Mr Shearer will not reveal the source of the information.

When questioned by NBR ONLINE if Fran Mold's partner was the source of the GCSB leak, Mr Shearer said: "You're a journalist, you don't reveal your sources. I'm not going to reveal mine."

Asked if he was concerned about the security implications of a leak from within the GCSB, he said: "This is not information that is top secret.

"This is about filming a meeting with staff and the prime minister.

"The only reason it's sensitive is because John Key has allegedly said something about the GCSB and working on the Dotcom case," Mr Shearer says. 

Mr Shearer's response echoed what his senior press secretary Miles Erwin told another NBR reporter this morning: "You're a journalist – you don't reveal you're sources... We're not revealing ours. We're not talking about this. That's the end of the matter."

Not quite, Mr Erwin...