Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Dirty Politics

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  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to izogi,

    It needs to be clearly expressed in about 10 words.
    Preferably as a haiku.

    Foreign trust lawyer
    advised by Key to lobby
    McLay, no action.

    lets see him crawl out of that glasshopper...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • saul drone, in reply to izogi,

    Nothing I wouldn't
    Have done on a million of
    Other occasions

    wellington • Since Apr 2016 • 1 posts Report Reply

  • John Farrell,

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 499 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    The Colin Craig Show keeps running in the background. In what appears to be a rather vast fishing trip forming part of his ongoing defamation cases (plural) against John Stringer, he applied to the courts to compel Vodafone to release all emails sent to or from Stringer's email accounts between November 1, 2014 and February 26, 2016.

    The court said no.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Alfie,

    The Colin Craig Show keeps running...

    ... now don't be giving MediaWorks new ideas for fresh reality TV concepts!
    ;- )

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    This story could as easily fit an Auckland housing thread, but seems somehow more appropriate here. It begins with the government finally starting to show some level of concern for the homeless by teaming up with the Sallies.

    Prime Minister John Key said the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) had teamed up with the charitable organisation to engage with homeless people.

    "MSD and the Sallies went around and knocked on eight cars that they could find," Key said.

    "All eight of those people refused to take support either from Sallies or from MSD."

    The implication? That homeless people are exercising a lifestyle choice and being on the streets has nothing whatsoever to do with the government's increasingly heartless neoliberal policy. There's only one minor problem... it's just another big lie from Key. The Sallies have issued a statement.

    "In the past few days, the Government and a government agency have made statements saying MSD officials accompanied Salvation Army personnel to visit homeless people living in Bruce Pulman Park in South Auckland. These statements are incorrect."

    "MSD officials did not accompany Salvation Army social personnel to Bruce Pulman Park last Monday night, as part of the Army's regular visits to the site.

    Neither the Prime Minister nor the Minister for Social Housing Paula Bennett have made any comment yet. They'll be thanking their lucky stars that it's Friday and hoping the story will disappear over the weekend.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Marc C, in reply to Alfie,

    Thanks for posting this here, and I feel it is also under the right topic here, as it is also some kind of "dirty politics" strategy again.

    So the Prime Minister did claim that MSD staff were working with Salvation Army staff when visiting homeless sleeping in cars in South Auckland. This was proved as being incorrect, and has led to the PM being caught out again, yet again, having told lies.

    It will most likely be explained away by the PM by claiming he had relied on Paula Bennett's advice (as tonight's TV news reported she had told him), and Paula Bennett will say, she relied on "official" advice by a MSD staff member.

    When you have an army of official underlings work for you, it is always easy to pass the buck, and in the end neither one will be much damaged by this.

    And the MSM did this time report on it, at least TV One, TV3 and Radio Live and I believe also RNZ, but it may be a once off. At least Andrew Little and James Shaw were given a chance to comment, but I heard little from the opposition on that major MSD stuff up with automatic payments of the Accommodation Supplement over the years since 1993.

    That was something that should also have deserved some questions in Parliament, but I presume it was not done as it would also have implicated Labour as having done nothing about it.

    On this one, Key lying again, to spin stuff and make it look acceptable that the government does not do much about homelessness, as they "choose" to live in the open or in cars, it will be passed quickly with other news about crime, weather, sports and so in the moving 24 hour news cycle.

    And I hear also, how Central Auckland MP Nikki Kaye commented on the Paul Henry Breakfast show, that she had people come to her electorate office, saying they "chose" to not seek help. I wonder why they came to her office then?

    Auckland • Since Oct 2012 • 437 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to ,

    But the whole thing hard case if you have 4 minutes of free time.

    While the phrase "hot buttered yak wool" was used by a Time magazine movie reviewer to describe Elvis's hair in the otherwise forgettable Roustabout, it seems made for Reagan.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Alfie,

    Nothing to see on the surface…

    They’ll be thanking their lucky stars that it’s Friday and hoping the story will disappear over the weekend.

    Stuff shut the comments down pretty darn quick and it has disappeared from the main web page already – buried down in the National News click through and then lower down in ‘Politics’ – no chance of ripples undermining the shored up government here…

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    There's an excellent piece from Jane Bowron on Stuff lamenting the dumbing down of politics on NZ television. While the sentiments will be familiar to regular PAS readers, it's refreshing to see such a genuine (read: non-sycophantic) opinion being published in the MSM.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Marc C, in reply to Alfie,

    How refreshing, some commentators writing in the MSM still have a conscience and principles. "Comments are now closed", I read, so this debate was shut down early, I wonder why.

    Auckland • Since Oct 2012 • 437 posts Report Reply

  • izogi, in reply to Marc C,

    "Comments are now closed", I read, so this debate was shut down early, I wonder why.

    I don't think it's fair to refer to most comment threads as debate, so much as mostly-anonymous people taking sides for screaming at and insulting each other to little effect except for the purposes of self-reinforcement.

    Stuff comment threads, and similar things, are probably minor contributors to dumbing down of the media and general polarisation of opinion. (Only a small part.) Need to find an apologist to explain to you why the uncomfortable thing you've just read is stupid and the author's a moron? Scroll down!

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 1142 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie, in reply to izogi,

    Stuff comment threads, and similar things, are probably minor contributors to dumbing down of the media and general polarisation of opinion.

    "The problem with living in the global village, is that it's filled with village idiots."

    While that's an old quote, sorry, I can't locate the original source.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Angela Hart,

    Christchurch • Since Apr 2014 • 614 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    Oh, excellent, couldn't be happening to better (worse) people, for a better reason - what they did to those researchers was IMHO the worst part of Dirty Politics

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • izogi, in reply to Angela Hart,

    But [Carrick Graham] said he was surprised that the action had been launched, as there had been a number of interactions with Professor Swinburn over the past few years which were friendly.

    I wonder if those interactions were before or after Nicky Hager's book was published.

    Wellington • Since Jan 2007 • 1142 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Prof Swinburn's media release and Carrick Graham's one (fronted by his limited liability company).

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    The culture of Dirty Politics continues…

    Social Housing Minister Paula Bennett says her staff member did tell a journalist about a police investigation into the chairman of a marae that has been helping the homeless.
    Opposition parties have said doing so is an example of dirty politics and a sacking offence – but Mrs Bennett says the staff member assumed the information was in the public arena.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11656361
    Petty point scoring is still the operating system it appears…
    Bennett really is a piece of work,
    trying to out-Collins Collins ?

    edit: here is Stuff's take:
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/81062253/paula-bennetts-office-accused-of-smearing-chairman-of-auckland-marae-helping-homeless
    this quote is a classic:

    "I just don't know anything about it, and I've got to be really careful, because they're allegations about allegations and I wouldn't want to make any sort of comment."

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    further to the Bennett revelations (from Stuff ) :

    In a statement later on Tuesday afternoon, Bennett said she had asked her staff about the allegations, with a staff member confirming they had "briefly" discussed the investigation with a member of the media.
    "The staff member in question assumed the information was in the public arena.

    The question I'd like answered is: was this staff member part of the conversation in which Dennis told Bennett about the investigation, or did Bennett pass this on to them after the fact - aka gossip!??

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Angela Hart,

    So the guy does the right thing and makes sure Bennett is informed about his personal situation, only to have it passed on to the media?

    Once upon a time heads would've rolled, but there's no honour in politics now. Just lies and deception.

    Christchurch • Since Apr 2014 • 614 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    Loosely related to Dirty Politics... Tony Lentino, money man behind WhaleFat who featured prominently in the Rachinger files as "the financier" has died aged 42.

    In related news, Slater's Lentino-backed venture Freed -- the business which was going to employ dozens of media people, seems to have dropped off the net completely.

    https://dnc.org.nz/whois/freed.nz
    https://dnc.org.nz/whois/freed.co.nz

    The best laid plans... etc.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    Freed, ummm...
    Freedumb

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • John Farrell,

    Not politics, but Carrick Graham gets a mention:

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11685977

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 499 posts Report Reply

  • Ross Mason,

    Horse Parking. Laughed my arse off with that description.

    Good result for shooting :-)

    I've already had a woman at work ask me to take her shooting cos she wants to give it a go.

    Upper Hutt • Since Jun 2007 • 1590 posts Report Reply

  • Alfie,

    Worth recording in this thread... Colin Craig must pay Jordon Williams $1.3m for defamation.

    Williams' lawyer Peter McKnight reckons his client is "a lovely guy''. Based on that quote you'd have to assume that he's never read Nicky Hager's Dirty Politics.

    Dunedin • Since May 2014 • 1440 posts Report Reply

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