Journalist Nicky Hager says documents leaked by US whistleblower Edward Snowden show the GCSB spied on candidates vying to lead the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in a bid to help New Zealand's contender Tim Groser in 2013.
Victoria University Professor of Strategic Studies, Robert Ayson, said if the claim was correct, it raised questions for the public about the GCSB's role, Radio New Zealand reports.
“If those allegations are correct, based on those documents that have been released, then I think it's starting to become a bit of an issue for me.
“I mean, is that what we want to have an intelligence service for?”
Auckland University law professor and Trans Pacific Partnership opponent, Jane Kelsey, believes the GCSB had a dedicated team for spying on trade.
“Well, we suspect strongly that the Five Eyes (spy network), most of whom are involved in the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement negotiations, have been keeping a close eye, not only on those of us who are non-government critics, but also possibly some of the governments in the negotiations.”
United Future leader Peter Dunne suspects there was no ministerial warrant signed authorising the GCSB to spy for Tim Groser.
“I think this is far more likely to have been a case of the GCSB deciding off its own volition that this was a good idea,” he said.
Prime Minister John Key has also refused to elaborate on the claims and Trade Minister Tim Groser refused to provide any details about the GCSB's alleged spying on his behalf.
“If we were to start commenting on individual allegations the whole system would come out,” he said.
