Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Incomplete, inaccurate and misleading

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  • Ian Dalziel, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    Is it kind of multi coloured and spikey with bells on it?

    a telling pork pie...
    stet son, let it stand...

    what about a 'boater'
    he is always taking the 'pith'
    and saying he 'mitre' done this or that
    (but can't remember)
    I'm guessing a Biretta or Yarmulke are out of the question on partisan grounds...

    and of course 'hat' derives from old words for 'hood'

    so to cap it all off
    Let's go with the Gatsby!
    that seems to be the Party hat du jour

    Possibly how many heads does Key have
    may be the more apposite question?

    Christchurch • Since Dec 2006 • 7953 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Rowe, in reply to BenWilson,

    Attachment

    Not sure which one is Key and which one is Joyce, though.

    Lake Roxburgh, Central Ot… • Since Nov 2006 • 574 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown, in reply to BenWilson,

    I was a bit surprised to see that the official inquiry outsourced the IT stuff to KPMG. Who did, so far as I can tell, absolutely nothing.

    Thus is the world of the big consultancies ...

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    New Snowden docs: GCHQ’s ties to telco gave spies global surveillance reach
    Access through “partners” such as Cable & Wireless pulls in gigabits globally.
    GCSB may not be mentioned in this article but then most Merkins don’t even know we exist, just the ones with the power to “Rule Them All"…

    however the article does confirm that the cables we use into the US are in fact tapped

    (it makes more sense to tap them at the US end - saves them having to pay for bandwidth to send all that data back to the US)


    EDIT: it's particularly scary that it's Vodaphone that's providing the taps to the spooks, maybe I need another cell provider

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Paul Campbell,

    - saves them having to pay for bandwidth to send all that data back to the US

    I doubt if payments are the problem. Ironically it is more likely a "Privacy" consideration.

    maybe I need another cell provider

    That's why I am with Kraps (name encrypted for security) you know, the one with the cat's arse for a logo.
    Damn, someone might be able to decipher that. ;-)

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Bart Janssen, in reply to nzlemming,

    turned the dump over [people he/she thought were] journalists…

    fixed

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 4461 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes, in reply to Ian Dalziel,

    Attachment

    a telling pork pie...
    stet son, let it stand...

    what about a 'boater'
    he is always taking the 'pith'

    Ich bin ein Homberger. ?

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • DexterX, in reply to matthew,

    Is there really such a thing as permanently deleting an email. Surely there is at least some forensic IT capacity somewhere in our state apparatus that could recover deleted correspondence.

    Ask the Americans or China - pretty sure they kept a copy.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1224 posts Report Reply

  • nzlemming,

    The former SIS director has accepted he made significant errors of judgment. Perhaps the most surprising was his unawareness, according to the report, of the nature of Slater's blog. He thought the information request had come from a "private individual" and that was the reason it was dealt with in a different way from requests by news media for records of the Goff briefing. Those had been refused.

    Herald editorial.

    Really? Really??

    Please find me someone, anyone, other than Slater who has had an OIA turned around in by the SIS in anything less than 20 days. As someone in the comments says:

    The former SIS director thought Slater was a private individual, which caused him to deal the request in a different way, different to the all the other requests he had declined?

    They may make a mockery of the word intelligence, but they sure are funny buggers - that explanation is so stupid its hilarious.

    Waikanae • Since Nov 2006 • 2937 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Hooton, in reply to Tom Semmens,

    The thing that shocks me the most is the way Key outsourced his relationship with the SIS – of which he was the responsible minister – to a politically ppointed National party hack

    Got it in one Tom. That is the main issue. Jason Ede and Cameron Slater did exactly what I or pretty much any politically involved person would have done when they obtained such information about their opponents. And even de Joux can defend himself to some extent that way, although when you are appointed Deputy Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister you should put those responsibilities well ahead of your partisan ones. Previous prime ministers made sure that people like them (or me or, I suspect, you) never got near such information. That is the reason the PM and his Chief of Staff are ultimately responsible for this scandal, even if their stories of not knowing anything about it are correct.

    Auckland • Since Aug 2007 • 195 posts Report Reply

  • Howard Edwards, in reply to Russell Brown,

    Thus is the world of the big consultancies...

    Ah yes, Price Waterhouse Coopers who convinced my employer that they were at serious risk unless we were all forced to change our passwords every 6 months.

    I was quite sad after 6 months when I had to give up Ifnh8PWC ....

    Albany • Since Apr 2013 • 66 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Matthew Hooton,

    Matthew, do you see a pattern yet in how this Government operates and especially how John Key and anyone on the front bench in National have cushioned themselves from ever having to take responsibility for their responsibilities? Do you see the behaviour as unethical? Do you ever think this modus operandi will change? Do you think it's acceptable? Just curious as to what supporters of Key co actually think of all this and the many other events that were in Nicky Hager's book (which I did read.) and did you read the book? I'd genuinely like to know.

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

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,

    Nicky Hager’s book (which I did read.) and did you read the book?

    Did you ever see Andy Warhol's Dracula, where the title character suffers terrible consequences if he drinks the blood of a non-virgin? When he happens to bite a victim who's been freshly deflowered by Joe Dalessandro he rushes to the bathroom, where he retchingly fills the bathtub with more lurid green vomit than his body could possibly contain.

    While some of Key's stauncher defenders give the impression that they'd suffer a similar reaction from reading any of Hager's works, I'm sure that Mr Hooton is made of sterner stuff.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell, in reply to Steve Barnes,

    I doubt if payments are the problem. Ironically it is more likely a “Privacy” consideration.

    no but if we have to build a new transpacific cable simply because every fibre being used on the current one needs a companion fibre owned by the NSA/GCSB passing its contents back to big brother's panopticon then it does affect us - especially if our internet traffic is limited because the NSA denies US landing rights to competing cables simply because the routing equipment will be provided by someone they have no control of

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    I’m sure that Mr Hooton is made of sterner stuff.

    Which is why I wanted his opinion. I think a response from him would be of value. It quite obvious what many of us think. Maybe he'd not appreciate me singling him out but he tends to respond in good faith albeit against my views .

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

  • Martin Brown, in reply to Paul Campbell,

    Re, Vodafone and taps. Earlier this year I had a couple of meetings with a big Telco's head of security regarding a niggle - he told me he had TWO members of Govt security staff within his own Security and Investigations Dept. He said they sit next to him with full network access and others are embedded in all the Telcos. Thanks, TICS!

    Auckland • Since Mar 2013 • 137 posts Report Reply

  • DexterX,

    The OIA is a statue that is there to:
    1) enable the people of NZ effective participation in the political process that makes and administers law and policy and
    2) to promote the accountability of Ministers of the Crown and Officials to enhance respect for the law and to promote the good government of NZ.

    Using the OIA request to undermine the opposition is vile - The SIS have acted for the Nat’s political gain and it is "bullshit" that Key knew nothing. I feel Key is a thug leader and engages thugs in pursuing thug practices.

    There must be some provision in the State Services Act that preserves the political neutrality of the Public Service so that those that initiated, acted or were used(probably being to kind here) can be taken to task.

    I also feel the hallmark of Keys stewardship of NZ is to whilst phucking with the process is to use "whatever" (it doesn’t have to be true) they can to phuck up the opposition or any voice of dissent.

    What I want to see now is what the opposition can make out of all of this.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1224 posts Report Reply

  • Angela Hart, in reply to DexterX,

    The Hallmark of Keys stewardship

    An outstandingly successful tactic is to accuse the person you've victimised of the very action you took against them. We're seeing it now with Goff being accused of leaking the report early.

    Christchurch • Since Apr 2014 • 614 posts Report Reply

  • simon g,

    Another day, another Key comedy routine in Parliament (well, actually the same one as always):

    "Can the Prime Minister confirm that he, in fact, exists?"

    "I can't confirm that, Mr Speaker, but what I can confirm is Labour big fat smelly poo!"

    Whatta guy.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1333 posts Report Reply

  • DexterX, in reply to Angela Hart,

    Yes - taking full advantage of the protocol to provide Goff an advance copy - be interesting to see where that polished turd of political manoeuvring originated - a real gem of a masterstroke - Not.

    Q: What do the geezers in the Office of the Prime Mister do when they aren't doing this sort of shit?

    A: Probably not much else.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1224 posts Report Reply

  • Sofie Bribiesca, in reply to DexterX,

    Q: What do the geezers in the Office of the Prime Mister do when they aren’t doing this sort of shit?

    A: Probably not much else.

    Q: What does the PM do when he isn't doing his sort of shit?

    A: Probably not much else, that he could remember.

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

  • BenWilson, in reply to Matthew Hooton,

    That is the reason the PM and his Chief of Staff are ultimately responsible for this scandal, even if their stories of not knowing anything about it are correct.

    Yup. But it's just a flesh wound to Key.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson, in reply to Joe Wylie,

    I’m sure that Mr Hooton is made of sterner stuff.

    So...he drinks the blood of the deflowered AND holds it down???

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

  • Joe Wylie, in reply to BenWilson,

    So…he drinks the blood of the deflowered AND holds it down???

    Don't they all. Unlike Farrar, though, I doubt if he really believes any of that stuff.

    flat earth • Since Jan 2007 • 4593 posts Report Reply

  • BenWilson,

    I doubt if he really believes any of that stuff.

    Yes, I'd be amazed if there is any blood test that could truly detect virginity, although there certainly are plenty that can detect a lack of it.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 10657 posts Report Reply

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