Wikileaks publishes censored NZ leak

Whistleblower website Wikileaks has published in full the Vodafone/2degrees story censored earlier this week by the New Zealand Commerce Commission.

Wikileaks has provided several links to access the full story, from countries outside New Zealand, including Sweden, US, Finland, the Netherlands and Tonga. The organisation said that the file it had made available for download directly affects the country's telecommunications regulations.

"There is a new round of telecommunications regulation being initiated by the Commerce Commission, with the public being asked to submit on issues. The New Zealand public should be fully informed on what's going on, so that it can understand the issues, and participate on equal terms with corporate entities and government in the regulatory process," Wikileaks stated for its reasons for re-publishing the story.

The Commerce Commission had requested the New Zealand's National Business Review earlier this week to remove the story from its website. The story detailed a secret deal related to pricing agreement which had reportedly been struck between Vodafone and mobile newcomer 2degrees.

The Commerce Commission left a brief statement on its website stating that "Information contained in a National Business Review article entitled Revealed: Vodafone's secret deal with 2degrees potentially breached a Commerce Commission confidentiality order and section 100 of the Commerce Act."

Section 100 of the country's Commerce Act entitles the commission to repress the publication of information which has been given to it as evidence during one of its investigations. The commission is able to take criminal action against persons that breach its confidentiality orders.