RUSSEL NORMAN: "I think it's a bad call. It means it's the Old Boys' Club - Labour and National - both of whom have been responsible for illegal spying".

The Government has sewn up a deal with Labour to ensure no minor parties are on the parliamentary committee overseeing a major review of the intelligence services.

The move left the Green Party fuming. Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said that an illegal spying scandal occurred under the watches of both major parties.

And he telephoned Labour leader Andrew Little to blast him, after he learned of the snub yesterday afternoon.

"I think it's a bad call," he said.

"It means it's the old boys' club - Labour and National - both of whom have been responsible for illegal spying.

"The Greens were the only ones on [the committee] with clean hands . . . the spy agencies will be extremely happy. The duopoly of illegal spying will be maintained without any independent oversight."

It emerged in 2013 that up to 88 New Zealanders were illegally spied on by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) for a decade.

The establishment of the Intelligence and Security committee after September's general election was delayed while Labour chose a new leader to replace David Cunliffe.

National selected three of its own MPs to make up the majority on the committee, and the Opposition representation will be Little and Labour's foreign affairs spokesman David Shearer.

Traditionally, Labour have selected one of their own MPs and nominated a second from the Greens. For the last two parliamentary terms, Norman sat on the committee.

It is understood Labour didn't want to choose Norman because he is due to step down as co-leader in May.

However, it is not clear why they didn't opt for another Green MP or another minor-party representative.

A review of the security services will get underway this year, required by controversial GCSB legislation passed in 2013.

Further surveillance laws to counter the threat of New Zealanders joining Islamic extremist fighters were passed last year to bolster the Security Intelligence Service (SIS).

That emergency legislation was passed with Labour's support, but was opposed by the Greens, NZ First and the Maori Party.

Although the review was billed as a check on the increased powers of the intelligence agencies, Prime Minister John Key has hinted the Government would look to introduce much tougher laws.

A spokesman for Key, who will chair the committee, said an announcement would be made this week and it was inappropriate to comment beforehand. A spokesman for Little said he did not want to comment.