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The hunt is on for political moles who may be leaking sensitive cabinet information to environmental lobbyists and the media.
Prime Minister John Key is upset Forest & Bird revealed secret details of Cabinet's plans to potentially mine parts of the conservation estate.
An investigation has been launched to find how the conservation organisation got hold of the secret information.
"Leaking out bits of information that may or may not be right are done to undermine the government and give a slanted view on information when it may be completely inaccurate," Key says.
A second 'leaker' is also being sniffed out after confidential details about the merger of government departments was also passed on.
It says the government was looking at rolling the National Library and Archives New Zealand into the Department of Internal Affairs, merging the Food Safety Authority with MAF, and amalgamating the Foundation for Science, Research and Technology with the ministry of the same name.
The reports were not denied by the government.
"You don't get those happening every day and that's why we want to investigate what was the basis that might have caused this and what action might be taken," State Services Minister Tony Ryall.
Asked if he thinks it is a public servant, Ryall says: "Look I don't have any strong views on who it may or may not have been.
Forest & Bird is protecting its source but says don't assume a public servant's behind it.
"Leaks happen. They happen from all sorts of sources, says Kevin Hackwell from Forest & Bird.
"New Zealanders are very passionate about conservation and that applies regardless of where they work."
The minister responsible for the investigation is admitting he has used leaked information in the past and would not reveal his sources either.
"Well I wouldn't tell you where mine came from," Ryall says.
But Key wants the 'leakers' found.
"It's not a witch-hunt. It's standard practice when there is potential leaks for the State Services Commission to go and have a look at it," he says.
Labour says the leak shows there is too much secrecy.
"The only time you get whistleblowers in the public service is when they believe there's so much secrecy that the true story is not being told to the public," Annette King says.
But a similar probe was carried out under Labour four years ago when budget secrets about Telecom were leaked.
A messenger in the Prime Minister's department was eventually caught and investigated by police but he escaped prosecution.
The same scrutiny is in store for the latest leakers.
