Paul Molineaux, CMG. Previously served as the Privacy Commissioner and Director of the Security Intelligence Service. at the age of 85. In 1976, when Paul Molineaux was appointed director of the Security Intelligence Service, he rejected the notion that the organization was a “cloak and dagger organization.” In addition, he referred to a newspaper headline that read “Our New Spy Catcher” as “flippant” in the evening.
Paul Molineaux was not a man who was easily humored. However, during the course of the subsequent seven years, the service was involved in a number of colorful situations, such as the Muldoon government almost joyfully ousting the Soviet Union’s ambassador from Wellington. And in 1981, there was an incident in which a briefcase belonging to a Special Intelligence Service operative was discovered on a street in Wellington. This event was very well received by the media in the country.
When Molineaux was appointed, he was lauded for his ability to maintain a clear head and remain impartial. In his capacity as a judge, he was recognized for his strict adherence to protocol. However, in his hometown of Christchurch, he was also acknowledged for his profound insight of human nature. Additionally, he stated that the issue of national security would be the single criterion that would be considered when deciding whether or not to initiate any activity of the SIS. It would be unacceptable for any officer of the service to be subjected to private inquiries that had no connection to the criterion in question.
Upon his departure from the Security Intelligence Service in 1983, he expressed his awareness of “a fear that people had that perhaps the service could be used for political purposes.” The purpose of my efforts was to show that it is possible to maintain objectivity. The position of director of an intelligence service is one that places significant limitations on the kinds of statements that can be made in public, particularly during the period of time when relations with the Soviet Union were characterized by a “them and us” dynamic. During the final year of his tenure, for instance, Molineaux disclosed that the size of the SIS organization had increased by a factor of two since he had assumed leadership. When he first joined, the service was too small to be able to do its duties, he claimed.
But he refused to provide the number of employees that the service currently has, as well as the number of employees that it had when he took over. Also, he requested that he not be subjected to an excessive amount of pressure about the matter because the media would obtain information that would be beneficial “to the other side.” In January of 1980, the Soviet Ambassador, Mr. Vsevolod N. Sofinsky, was expelled from New Zealand on the grounds that he interfered in the implementation of New Zealand’s internal policies. According to the government, it involved proof that this individual was involved in the process of providing financial support to the Socialist Unity Party.
The Security Intelligence Service (SIS) remained firmly in the background while denials and counter-allegations flew thick and fast. “It is not possible to divulge the evidence,” responded the Acting Prime Minister, Brian Talboys. “It would be detrimental to the sources. There are important interests at play in this situation. The money that was handed to the SUP was approximately $10,000, as it was later discovered. After some time had passed, the Herald discovered a claim that the party had requested the money because it need funds for day-to-day expenses, such as the salary of its employees during the holiday season. As a result of the SIS agent’s suitcase being involved in an incident on a street in Wellington, Molineaux was embarrassed. Although he took some undefined corrective measures, he was of the opinion that the nation’s security had not been jeopardized.
In December of 1981, the suitcase was discovered by the son of a radio broadcaster who was ten years old. It was alleged that it included three identification cards, one of which identified the owner of the bag as a member of the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS). At this time, it is thought that the additional goods that were found in the case included three meat pies, two slices of cake, copies of Penthouse and the Listener, the letter of appointment from the agency, and many other paperwork. When Molineaux was not working for the Secret Intelligence Service, he enjoyed an exciting life.
It was at Christ’s College that he received his education. After that, he attended the Royal Military College at Duntroon and served in the Pacific theater of World War II. After completing his master’s degree in arts with honors from Canterbury University in 1945 and his law degree from the University of Canterbury in 1952, he went on to become a crown prosecutor in Blenheim. Before becoming the Chief Justice of Western Samoa in 1962, he served as a magistrate in Northern Rhodesia, which is now known as Zambia. In 1961, he was also the Attorney General of Western Samoa.
During his five years of happiness there, he was able to acquire sufficient Samoan to be able to reprimand Samoans in their native tongue in his court in Christchurch. After the SIS, he served as the Privacy Commissioner for a period of ten years. This position was a watchdog that was responsible for ensuring that the official information that was stored on people in the Wanganui computer was accurate.
