Nicky Hager (born 1958) is a New Zealand investigative journalist. He has produced seven books since 1996, covering topics such as intelligence networks, environmental issues and politics. He is one of two New Zealand members of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Early life Hager was born in Levin to a middle-class "socially aware" family. His father was from Vienna, Austria, a clothing manufacturer who emigrated to New Zealand as a refugee from the Nazis. His mother was born in Zanzibar (part of Tanzania), where her father studied tropical medicine, and later grew up in Kenya and Uganda. His surname Hager is pronounced Har-gar, rhyming with lager. Hager studied physics at Victoria University of Wellington, where he also did an honours degree in philosophy. He stood as a Values Party candidate for Pahiatua in the 1978 general election. Early career After graduating from university, Hager worked at the ecology division of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), and later worked with his brother-in-law building and renovating houses. Journalism career Hager is an investigative journalist who has written seven books. , the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), an international network that has 249 investigative reporters in over 90 countries, has Hager as one of only two New Zealand members. Hager works on a number of projects at any given time, gathering information about them and looks for sources and mentors. Some projects "come together" but others can continue for a number of years. Secret Power Secret Power: New Zealand's Role in the International Spy Network, published in 1996, was Hager's first book. The book investigates various spying techniques, including signals intelligence (Sigint), a form of electronic eavesdropping between countries. The information was taken from interviews with staff in New Zealand's Sigint agency, the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB), who revealed the workings of the agency in minute detail: the intelligence targets, equipment, operating procedures, security systems and training, as well as the staff and layout of the intelligence agency's facilities. The book makes special mention of GCSB's facilities at Waihopai and Tangimoana. It revealed aspects of New Zealand's participation in the UKUSA Agreement facilitating intelligence gathering and sharing between the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Since the Edward Snowden revelations, this partnership has become more commonly known as the Five Eyes. As a result, the insights into the inner workings of the GCSB provide