Journalist Nicky Hager has described the New Zealand Defence Force as being obsessed with making itself look good in public.
On Wednesday he told the Operation Burnham Inquiry it does that by keeping embarrassing things secret under the guise of operational security and by employing a small army of PR staff to control information about military issues.
The Inquiry, which is investigating allegations that six civilians were killed in Afghanistan during a New Zealand-led raid in 2010, and the military covered up what happened, is holding a public hearing in Wellington.
Nicky Hager told the Inquiry the Defence Force office handling its involvement in the Inquiry, has a Strategic Liaison Advisor to form a 'cohesive word picture' of information from sources.
He outlined the circumstances in which the NZSAS short an unarmed civilian in Afghanistan to illustrate that.
Nicky Hager will make another presentation on Thursday and the Inquiry heads Sir Geoffrey Palmer and Sir Terence Arnold have indicated they will question him after that.
