Senior Ministers have confirmed the Key Govt has returned NZ to the top levels of the US and UK primary intelligence systems. Not for the best part of 30 years has Wellington enjoyed such access to the primary intelligence which guides Washington, London, Ottawa and Canberra. Senior Ministers have confirmed the streams of intelligence flowing into the capital have been upgraded and are reaching flood proportions. Now NZ receives real time data on what world leaders are thinking, strategic issues and developing trends. It is helping shape the Key Govt’s policies in Asia, Africa and Europe.

While the Clark Govt succeeded in warming up the relationship with Washington, the real breakthrough in securing a step-change in the quality of intelligence from medium to top grade began with Foreign Minister Murray McCully’s initial discussions with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, reinforced by John Key’s easy affability with President Barack Obama. Observers note (with not a little chagrin in Canberra) Wellington secured significant progress without surrendering any element of its anti- nuclear policy. In fact the Obama Administration picked up the theme to the extent of setting aside the US Navy’s reservations of the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone, which it perceived as aimed directly at inhibiting its freedom of movement in the region. This admission to the highest halls has been balanced by NZ’s insights on the South Pacific and Asia which Washington values as a counter-balance to the strong US-nuanced perspectives emanating from Canberra.

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