A former Labour minister will chaperone the next meeting between party leader Phil Goff and Security Intelligence Service (SIS) head Warren Tucker after a row involving a spy investigation.

Mr Goff and Dr Tucker have different recollections of whether the MP was shown a document about an inquiry into a group of backpackers who fled Christchurch after the February earthquake. The inquiry found no evidence they were involved in spying.

Following the dispute, Mr Goff last week said he would take a third party with him to future briefings.

Today he said that person would have appropriate security clearance and several former ministers in his Caucus had that.

"I think that's important (to have clearance) if you want to have a free and frank discussion," he said.

The meeting at the end of this month will be the first since the dispute between Dr Tucker and Mr Goff.

Prime Minister John Key's assertion Dr Tucker had briefed Mr Goff and shown him the same document he was shown provoked the row.

Mr Goff disputed that and summoned Dr Tucker to explain. After that meeting they agreed the issue had been "flicked past" Mr Goff among other issues, and was not dwelt on.

Then documents were released to right-wing blogger Cameron Slater which indicated a briefing on the Israeli backpackers was on the agenda and that Mr Goff had sighted a document.

But Mr Goff categorically denied that he was shown any documents.

Mr Goff has said the release was politically motivated and it was strange that the blogger got the documents before media which had also asked for them.

"I think the last thing you do is politicise (information releases) as the Beehive did over the incident last week."

He suggested Slater was directed on what to ask.

"I am sure that Warren Tucker didn't brief Cameron Slater on what he might ask for under the Official Information Act."

In 2004 Mr Goff, then Foreign Minister, released part of an official's report on a meeting with United States senators in January.

The report recorded then National leader Don Brash as saying the nuclear ships ban would be gone "by lunchtime" under a National government.

Mr Goff today disagreed that was an example of similar politically motivated release of information.

"It wasn't intelligence information, it was (exposing) a blatant example of hypocrisy where politicians were saying one thing to you in the media and to the public and saying the absolute opposite when they thought they weren't being recorded."

- NZPA