"Don Elder must resign - spying unacceptable"

The Save Happy Valley Coalition is calling for the immediate resignation of CEO Don Elder following a Sunday Star Times expose of Solid Energy's use of an infiltrator into the Christchurch Save Happy Valley group.

"It is a disgrace that Solid Energy employ such underhanded and potentially illegal tactics," said Frances Mountier, Save Happy Valley Coalition spokesperson. "The use of an infiltrator into our group meetings represents a serious blow for Solid Energy's credibility. It is a serious misuse of public funds to send a spy in to collect information on strategy, campaign plans, fundraising and actions. The climate change debate must not be reduced to a state owned enterprise scooping information from the organisations that oppose their practices."

When confronted on Thursday, Ryan, the spy, fully admitted his role. He has been involved in Save Happy Valley for seven months and has joined the 16 month old occupation of Happy Valley three times.

"Solid Energy must provide an assurance that, after 15 months of spying on us at our occupation camp, filming the Happy Valley track and now planting a spy in our group, they will once and for all cease to employ Thompson and Clark Investigations Ltd," said Ms Mountier. "It is too late, however, for Don Elder to redeem any legitimacy as the CEO of a state owned company. He must resign immediately."

//ENDS

Media Contact
Frances Mountier
Save Happy Valley Coalition Spokesperson
0211757484

Notes
1. Solid Energy has previously admitted hiring Thompson and Clark.
2. When the Save Happy Valley Coalition found two spies in Happy Valley in February 2006, Solid Energy denied that they were hired by the SOE, or their security guards, but declined to comment on whether they were hired by Thompson and Clark.
3. In September 2006, the Save Happy Valley Coalition found an elaborate, expensive camera setup to spy on people walking into Happy Valley.
4. Under the Private Investigators and Security Guards Act, all people acting as Private Investigators must be registered. In operating an unregistered spy, Thompson & Clark have seemingly broken the law.

Related

http://www.savehappyvalley.org.nz