The National Party is suggesting New Zealand's spy agencies are asleep and oblivious to the reality of Russian spies in New Zealand.
Gerry Brownlee raised questions in Parliament today. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
What began as a row between London and Moscow after Britain accused Russia of using a nerve agent to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in England has now snowballed into an international chorus of rebuke for the Kremlin
The Government has been under pressure over its lack of action, with New Zealand the only member of the Five Eyes spying alliance not to have take action against Russia.
The Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern insists there are no Russian secret agents in New Zealand to expel.
In Parliament today, National's Gerry Brownlee asked the Minister for New Zealand's Security Intelligence Service why he wasn't prepared to disclose details of exactly what the SIS knew.
"Is the reason he declined to define Russian intelligence activity on the grounds quote 'it might potentially disclose the way our agencies operate' because our agencies are asleep and oblivious to what the rest of the free world appear to know?"
The deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters responded on behalf of the Minister.
"Mr Speaker, I regard that as an absolute affront to an agency that he had some connection with just five months ago.
And if this country was the subject of that sort of intelligence activity why on earth didn't he and the Foreign Minister take charge of it back then, rather than making this story up now.
Mr Brownlee also asked if New Zealand had recieved any congratulatory messages from its Five Eyes partners for the way it was handling the Russia issue.
Mr Peters responded that the government have been the "recipients of enormous praise of our Five Eyes partners and people all over the world, including a conversation I had with the UK High Commissioner this morning".
The government is banning Russians expelled by other countries following the Salisbury attack from coming to New Zealand.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said New Zealand would be asking its security partners to provide their names.
"Those names will then be placed on a travel ban list to ensure that individuals who have been found to undertake activities incompatible with their diplomatic status in other countries do not enter New Zealand."