Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Dirty Politics

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  • david kinniburgh,

    FWIW:
    Shortly before his transition from AK City Councillor to MP for Botany, Jami-Lee Ross said (to me) that he talks to Cameron Slater regularly and has lunch with him once a week. The rot runs pretty deep

    Auckland • Since Jan 2012 • 29 posts Report

  • James Hart,

    The right is certainly relying on:

    -The more pronounced moral aversion to outright fabrication and deception from Left leaning people (not a level playing field, in a sense)
    -Knowledge that in their misguided attempts at ‘balance,’ all specific claims in Hager's book will end up being minimised / obfuscated by the majority of popular media outlets
    -‘Middle NZ’ seeing this as more of the same ‘dirty politics’ that they hate, and it driving down voter turnout, as Simon Lusk attempted to predict

    Onehunga • Since Nov 2006 • 9 posts Report

  • Dominic Muir,

    Apologies if this has already been posted, or alluded to, but this has to be one of the nastier passages from the book:

    "Cathy Odgers is a lawyer. She wrote an attack post about it for the Whale Oil blog and sent the following e-mail to David Farrar, Cameron Slater and Matthew Hooton. To Farrar, Slater, Hooton: Make sure when Cam finds it that you subtly repost where Hager lives. I’ve done a post for Saturday on whale blog as can’t run myself as too close to work. The leaks he is involved with include tens of thousands of rich Chinese. Mainland and HK. It would be a disaster if they all knew where he lived. He may even need police protection. I’ve spent all day telling clients it is not our company but have asked a few how they would react if they knew a bit about the people publishing the material. I was delighted to assist with the full details for Mr Hager. Those Chinese can be very vicious when they lose face. Hiding money from wife for concubines and having their family trust deed leaked online with beneficiaries for example makes for very unhappy billionaires. Many trusts are not tax driven at all in Cooks they are cock driven. Chop chop for Nicky. Shame Russians don’t seem affected but our Chinese friends need a helping hand."

    West AK • Since Oct 2007 • 2 posts Report

  • Rob S, in reply to ,

    Neck minute, I over heard some kids talking about glueing Whaleoils head onto National party billboards.

    Made my morning, glad I wasn't drinking coffee at the time.

    National have a lie down with dogs you get up with fleas problem.

    Since Apr 2010 • 136 posts Report

  • Lucy Telfar Barnard, in reply to Dominic Muir,

    Was there meant to be something after the colon?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 585 posts Report

  • Tom Semmens,

    David Farrar is now claiming to have been hacked because two phone-polling scripts used by Curia are quoted in the book.

    David Farrar spends much of his time acting as the acceptable face and apologist for all the various hard right exponents of US Republican style attack politics including Lusk, his Taxpayers Union mate Williams and in his constant championing of Slater. it is pretty rich to condone a style of politics that makes every aspect of your opponents lives a legitimate free-fire zone, then cry like a baby when you suspect the other side might have started shooting back.

    Sevilla, Espana • Since Nov 2006 • 2217 posts Report

  • Alan Perrott,

    not sure how long National can sustain a position that seems to be saying the emails were stolen and that's bad, but it doesn't matter because none of them are true.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Lucy Telfar Barnard,

    Was there meant to be something after the colon?

    oscopy?
    Right up them? ; )

    I'll get me hat...

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report

  • Craig Young,

    Section 250 of the Crimes Act 1961 has this to say on the subject of hacking, denial of service attacks and deliberate computer virus releases… [It] covers deliberate hacking and/or flooding (overwhelming) of phones or networks (with messages or calls) so that the owner cannot use the system.

    What does the law say?
    1. Everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years who intentionally or recklessly destroys, damages, or alters any computer system if he or she knows or ought to know that danger to life is likely to result.

    2. everyone is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years who intentionally or recklessly, and without authorization, knowing that he or she is not authorized, or being reckless as to whether or not he or she is authorized, -
    a. Damages, deletes, modifies, or otherwise interferes with or impairs any data or software in any computer system; or
    b. Causes any data or software in any computer system to be damaged, deleted, modified, or otherwise interfered with or impaired; or
    c. Causes any computer system to-
    i. Fail; or
    ii. Deny service to any authorized users.

    http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1961/0043/latest/DLM327382.html

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 573 posts Report

  • Sacha, in reply to Russell Brown,

    the footnotes for the Farrar chapter explain this

    But Farrar gets to slime the left this way by suggesting 'hacking'. These guys have somehow lost any sense of right or wrong their parents managed to teach them.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Sacha, in reply to Alan Perrott,

    you and your logic. feel the outrage.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Craig Young,

    Section 250 of the Crimes Act 1961

    Nothing about copying data?

    or is that dealt with specifically elsewhere?
    (or go without saying...)

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

  • Russell Brown, in reply to Sacha,

    When I put it to him that it looked like a leak by an employee, as the footnotes in the book actually say, he said "I regard it as spying" and that someone must have taken work with Curia specifically to get information. If all they managed was a couple of scripts that were handed out to call centre workers and read out over the phone to thousands of people, they were a really shit spy.

    I'm calling conscious misdirection.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Dominic Muir,

    So that's the level she/they are prepared to go? Sick Bitch.
    Plus she must be feeling a little bit put out ? Is it all true? How can she want to silence/kill Hager if none of it's true. She is suggesting death threats and promoting death . That's disgusting. See what this Govt has sowed? Fucking sick.

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report

  • Sacha, in reply to Russell Brown,

    I’m calling conscious misdirection

    Same. And look how easily he has been given a platform for it already. Exemplifies the problem.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report

  • Moz, in reply to Russell Brown,

    If all they managed was a couple of scripts that were handed out to call centre workers and read out over the phone to thousands of people, they were a really shit spy.

    Hey, as a member of the international espionage elite I am offended by that. It takes considerable skill to swipe the newpaper from the tea-room at the end of the day, thank you very much. I feel rather proud of myself.

    If I had to copy a script off a screen in a call-centre I'm not sure what I'd do. Perhaps use my secret spy smartphone (a maxwell smart phone?) to take a photo of the screen. Or, here's a thought, as I'm reading it out repeatedly over the phone, memorise it! Genie-Uz!

    Hagar quite probably just got one of the call entre people to recite it. Repeatedly. While he transcribed it. It wouldn't be hard. Although he might also find he gets a carpet cleaning off and "have you tried turning it off and on again" mixed in there somewhere.

    Sydney, West Island • Since Nov 2006 • 1233 posts Report

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Dominic Muir,

    this has to be one of the nastier passages from the book:

    “... Make sure when Cam finds it that you subtly repost where Hager lives...Those Chinese can be very vicious when they lose face....Chop chop for Nicky. Shame Russians don’t seem affected but our Chinese friends need a helping hand.”

    When Hager spoke here in Chch sometime after the publication of The Hollow Men he was asked if he ever feared for his safety. He replied that he'd probably be at greater risk if he were covering Fair Go issues rather than politics. He saw this as evidence of the relatively benign political environment in NZ, and believed that by exposing the things he did he was helping to keep it that way.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report

  • David Herkt, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Yes, Russell, I’m inclined to agree about the claim that Curia was hacked… In fact, to me, its just a misleading claim and hysterics, pointing in the wrong direction… There was even a copy of a Curia call doing the general rounds a while ago that I read with interest because its order and phrases (or it seemed so to me) were weighted to produce what I thought was a particular response. So its certainly not the first time Curia calls have been in the public realm…

    The one thing that was particularly interesting about Hager’s book was its revelations of a particular atmosphere. I’ve always admired the Nat’s Good Cop/Bad Cop blogging strategy with the Unspeakable Cameron and the Loveable Rolly-Polly Farrar, and really thought the parties of the left should adopt some version of it.

    It was very successful as any perusal of the comment threads on either blog indicated – reaching far and wide into differing sectors of the population. Hager’s book reveals the cynicism under the surface of this strategy. Maybe I’m easily shocked, but the sheer contempt that was manifested about the public was just amazing… This isn’t easily translated into a news-story, unfortunately.

    In many ways, Dirty Secrets is a character study of a corrupt, self-serving, dog-eat dog, and grasping sector of NZ that is not in any way shape or form 100% Pure. Slater proves himself a representative character, an embodiment of values that no-one should want to emulate or even come within infection-distance. I figure that this will be one of the consequences of Hager’s book. Slater’s dark machinations and his various enablers from Collins to lobbyist Carrick Graham are now in full view.

    But I have so many sections that I want to ‘favourite’, from Aaron Bhatnagar being used and disposed of with great haste (he, I imagine, will be reviewing some decisions a little), that great bit of conversation with lobbyist Simon Lusk creating an image of himself as a huntin’, shootin’ killer with a 4-wheel drive, and that marvelous e-mail from ex-pat legal-eagle Cathy Odgers (quoted by Dominic above) that gives a not-exactly tourist view of Hong Kong society. The whole book is filled with so many resonant details. Future novelists wanting to recreate our times will relish it.

    Auckland • Since Sep 2007 • 53 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Just a note: the book does not actually say Collins was behind the prisoner transfer. The allegation is against a prison officer. P46 and footnote 10, p144.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • James George,

    Just on the FairGo issues There seems to be a shonky group by the name of Spark sending out emails at the moment.
    I just got one in my commercial bizzo inbox telling me to click on a link to read my account.
    I have never signed up to do business with any such named entity so naturally I didn't click the link.
    I did write back to them from a VM set aside for such purposes asking em if perchance they were based in Nigeria.

    Since Sep 2007 • 96 posts Report

  • Paul Campbell, in reply to Hebe,

    Got the ebook tonight. In a houseful of political junkies that is a bargain: loaded on the Kindle

    I got one too - my main complaint (apart from the ... gag .... content) is that the footnotes are broken

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report

  • Moz, in reply to David Herkt,

    the sheer contempt that was manifested about the public was just amazing ... and that marvelous e-mail from ex-pat legal-eagle Cathy Odgers

    It's making me rethink my opinions of the rightwing people I know, that's for sure.

    It reminds me of the deeply rascist people I've met who are perfectly fine with their black friends because their friends are not like the rest. Farrar is perfectly nice face to face (as ins Banks, for that matter), but the more I learn about his politics the more I think there's huge cognitive dissonance going on. Surely no-one could be that blatantly two-faced and not slip, ever? They have to be thinking "oh, that smart, sensible, rich greenie I know, he's the exception, the rest are barmy". Gritting his teeth and pretending to be nice just doesn't seem sustainable.

    Sydney, West Island • Since Nov 2006 • 1233 posts Report

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Just a note: the book does not actually say Collins was behind the prisoner transfer. The allegation is against a prison officer. P46 and footnote 10, p144.

    So who said it was Collins ? MSM?

    here and there. • Since Nov 2007 • 6796 posts Report

  • Kumara Republic, in reply to Alfie,

    It’s a new day and the Morning Report interviews suggest that the National Party PR machine has come up with a new strategy – deny everything… Hager apparently made it all up… nothing to see here, folks. That line might work on dedicated right winger voters but it’s coming across as pretty desperate. It looks like Slatergate has the legs to run for a lot longer.

    Lyndon Johnson's "pig-fucker" remarks come to mind.

    As the old saying goes, If you're explaining, you're losing. Or, more pungently, there's the (possibly true!) story about LBJ spreading a rumor that his opponent was a pig-fucker. Aide: "Lyndon, you know he doesn't do that!" Johnson: "I know. I just want to make him deny it." If you're denying, you're losing.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Attachment

    ...conscious misdirection

    Keep Right!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report

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