Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Privacy and the Public Interest

345 Responses

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  • phplad,

    So, what to do.
    How to unbreak this obviously broken system.
    How much would the world change if we got rid of lobbyists and confidence and supply agreements. I keep going back to this idea of a model closer to direct democracy where politicians would vote exactly as their regularly polled constituents wished them to.
    That of course puts even more power in the hands of media.
    Is the media the broken system, could we fix it with a few tech innovations such as making the public aware of all sides of a story, surely we could show what and where they absorb media from and who wrote it, a crowd sourced opinion on the authors various view points, previous associations etc and of course who funded it.
    So sad these last few weeks. We have simply shot and smeared the messenger, thats almost laughable in a what I assumed was an intelligent society, bad presumption on my part I guess but now I am worried for the intelligence of society moving forward.

    New Zealand • Since Aug 2014 • 17 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to phplad,

    could we fix it with a few tech innovations such as making the public aware of all sides of a story

    that's not a tech problem

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Trevor Nicholls, in reply to phplad,

    How to unbreak this obviously broken system.
    ... I keep going back to this idea of a model closer to direct democracy where politicians would vote exactly as their regularly polled constituents wished them to.

    Read a suggestion recently that proposed adding randomly selected and intermittently replaced citizen representatives to the elected house so that elected MPs only made up the same proportion of the chamber as the fraction of the electorate that voted.
    While the aim of the proposal was to increase voter turnout and involvement, you can bet the C&M's of this world would be finding ways to game the system.

    Wellington, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 325 posts Report Reply

  • Walter Nicholls, in reply to Trevor Nicholls,

    On this very website, perhaps…
    ( Edit: ok, not quite)

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Jul 2008 • 42 posts Report Reply

  • Trevor Nicholls, in reply to Walter Nicholls,

    On this very website, perhaps…

    No, it was this week and wrt the UK, but good find :-)

    Wellington, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 325 posts Report Reply

  • John Morrison,

    Nothing much to add to the overall despair of these comments. I am too disgusted that such evil, underhand and illegal behaviour can be swept away by the PM and not being held to account by the NZ public.

    Cromwell • Since Nov 2006 • 85 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel,

    I've said it before - but I reckon our leaders should be co-opted rather than elected - not quite randomly selected - but people with relevant skills, rather than the motley crew parties like National throw at us to select from.

    Having said that we just went down to a street corner meeting for Labour's Poto Williams in Richmond, she impressed me as a positive candidate, and as good people - they were there, enthusiastically, at 5pm on a wet friday.

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • phplad, in reply to Trevor Nicholls,

    yes, there would need to be a way of removing barriers to voting so that everyone could. It surprises me that our "polls" are made from 1000 potential voters , yet there are 3 million devices. The electoral commission also needs to release an electoral role API so that devs can authenticate unique voters without holding the whole role. Ironically it's not available for such purposes. It needs thought and discussion.
    What gave me the idea was infact Hagers book and then suddenly finding myself listening to radio commentators interviewing guests who quote the NZTU for example. If I had a guide to tell me who sleeps with who I'd find it easier to compartmentalise their views :) whilst that knowledge might grow over time and with interest it should IMHO be disclosed to a reader, especially a vulnerable one.

    New Zealand • Since Aug 2014 • 17 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    GREAT result for the media companies. They can use anything they already have, Whaledump is enjoined from further publication.

    Whaledump signed off this afternoon: all information now with reporters, all devices used destroyed, end of story. The guy has had a few wobbles, but that's quite an exit.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • phplad, in reply to Russell Brown,

    thank goodness !
    Now, how to nominate whaledump for the Canon media awards :)

    New Zealand • Since Aug 2014 • 17 posts Report Reply

  • Dan Salmon, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Yeah, good decision, and good argument by Julian Myles.
    The last sentence of the Herald story surprised me: "The High Court showdown comes two weeks after the publication of Nicky Hager's Dirty Politics book"
    Really? Has it only been two weeks?

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 40 posts Report Reply

  • Trevor Nicholls,

    Wellington, NZ • Since Nov 2006 • 325 posts Report Reply

  • Cecelia, in reply to Kumara Republic,

    I can empathise here. It IS a gap in the medical system. People who have had radiation treatment in the mouth are very very prone to tooth decay. The cancer treatment is free but the intensive dental surveillance they need for the rest of their lives is not.

    Hibiscus Coast • Since Apr 2008 • 559 posts Report Reply

  • Allan Moyle, in reply to izogi,

    Thanks. I did a bit more digging later (as work allowed) and got the same info. Still interested as to source of the specific comments. There is a 2010 and 2014 “survey” and I imagine that it’s asking a lot of one individual to glean that level of detail on all Judges across the wide range of judicial disciplines. Further some of those comments come across as a bit “legalese” in their constructs.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 104 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Just tweeted by Katie Bradford:

    30 health academics have written to the PM asking him to investigate the hackers claims made about Food & Grocery Council's Katherine Rich

    They want an inquiry into any potential conflicts of interest between Rich's Food & Grocery role & Health Promotion board role

    It's starting.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Dan Salmon,

    And only now talking to my mother did i get the Rawshark - Rorschach pun. Assume it's intentional...

    Auckland • Since Mar 2011 • 40 posts Report Reply

  • Brian Murphy, in reply to Trevor Nicholls,

    Running the country, I have often thought it should be done like jury service. You get to do it at most once, are well compensated, and do the best you can.

    With 120 or so "jurors" extremes should get contained.

    Those who seem to want the job often seem to be those I least want doing it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 48 posts Report Reply

  • Dismal Soyanz,

    Superb.

    Closest we might get to an official two-fingered salute to Slater.

    And did he really think anyone was interested in his personal life? *gag*

    Wellington • Since Nov 2010 • 310 posts Report Reply

  • SteveH, in reply to Alfie,

    Slater hasn’t appeared in court but his lawyer has

    So Slater can only afford to represent himself against Blomfield, but suddenly has a QC for this case. A QC he's previous tried to smear. And then he didn't even show up today. Is this Slater's case or someone else's case in Slater's name?

    Since Sep 2009 • 444 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    n the High Court at Auckland today, Justice John Fogarty said the media were still allowed to discuss material already leaked and publish information already in their hands.

    The judge was quick to clarify it was an interim order pending further legal wrangling next week.

    It will be an interesting weekend then. I have no doubt the journalists holding the last of the leaked emails will want to get them out there before the interim order runs out. Rawshark has said that he had already handed them over before the court order was made. Too late for Slater.... Slater than you think...

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha, in reply to Russell Brown,

    potential conflicts of interest between Rich's Food & Grocery role & Health Promotion board role

    Amazing that neither her nor those who appointed her seem at all concerned by the obvious problem, even before the recent revelations. Almost Oravida-level conflictedness.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    The One News report quoted Katherine Rich as saying (get your bingo card ready ...) -

    - that she talks to a lot of media, including bloggers.

    Boy, am I getting tired of that line being spun, as if it meant anything at all.

    Police Officer : "Did you put arsenic in the victim's coffee?"

    Suspect: "I have had coffee with a lot of people."

    Well, that's all right then. No further questions.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Russell Brown,

    but that’s quite an exit

    The krill is gone...

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Russell Brown,

    It’s starting.

    Powder the people!

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

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