Posts by Russell Brown
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to merc,
Questions need to be asked as to the relationship between National and the media, what’s with ordering the media there then ordering them out?
It's one of the stories of campaign 2011, so they didn't need to do any more than announce the place and time. 40 reporters and camera people turned up, apparently.
It was surprising that they tried to turn a media stunt into a private meeting, though. I don't think anyone would have expected that.
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Speaking of National's weird treatment of Radio NZ, the party has simply refused to respond to Radio NZ's online policy Q&A.
It does come across as unfathomably contemptuous.
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Bradley Ambrose, the cameraman, has spoken to NewstalkZB:
Bradley Ambrose says he was filming the meeting in Epsom between John Key and John Banks when Mr Banks started answering questions.
He says that's when he put his microphone on the table.
"I had enough time and enough space just to reach my arm and drop it on the table to try and get his questions," he told Newstalk ZB.
"I wasn't able to get a shot so I backed off and while I was backed off trying to get other shots we were basically hustled out of the room, told to get out."
Mr Ambrose says he completely forgot about his microphone as he struggled to get a shot of the pair.
Police are visiting John Key in his office to receive a complaint about the secret recording.
Newstalk's story also says Ambroses's account contradicts the HoS's claim that the recording was inadvertent, but it doesn't seem that way to me.
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The Manawatu Standard weighs in: Picking row not in Key's best interests
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to merc,
If the media were invited, how can it be framed as a private conversation?
I imagine m'learned friends are mulling over that one already.
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to BenWilson,
You’d probably have to elaborate about the risks. The recording/transcript has not been released yet, so there’s not much of a limb there, is there?
Key is to make a criminal complaint at 4pm today and Joyce has already issued an incredibly aggressive media statement. That's a limb and a half.
What will be happening now is that Fisher and Milne will be working to try and stand up by other means the parts they believe to be a story. If they can't, they'll probably have to back off. If they can. next Sunday's HoS will be interesting.
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Anyway, from the Stuff story, quoting Johns on the radio:
Bryce Johns said Key was doing "an exceptional job at deflecting the attention in this saga from what he said".
"I've got a bit of disdain for the prime minister right now and the lines they are running."
Senior editorial staff had expected the conversation to be boring but for Key and Banks to "traverse into the areas they did with the media pack less than one metre away is unfathomable".
However, the tape was not Watergate "by any stretch of the imagination".
"It's just some silly 'this is how we are going to rule the world stuff'.
"It's nothing that is going to bring down the Government but it's certainly embarrassing."
Johns said there was one "injudicious" comment that could change the way some people vote.
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to Sacha,
totally – and Johns was always an impressive editor at the Waikato Times.
He was. He's an intelligent man.
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to merc,
Also, were the media invited to this tea fest? Because, you know, that may change things somewhat.
They were.
Oh and writing that what they said is game changing then refusing to say more has a weird burlesque feel to it.
Johns sounded fairly stressed on the radio this morning. I'd say there have been some intense conversations going on since they contacted Key's office on Saturday.
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Hard News: The perils of political confidence, in reply to BenWilson,
Of course I’m only going on public information in this, I don’t have journalistic insiders feeding it to me.
Same. But I am familiar with editorial environments and I know two or th three journalists involved.
Maybe there is a real leak here, which would explain the instant Labour lockjaw fix on it.
Well, Grant Robertson talked to Stuff, after Russel Norman had called for the release of the transcript. Not exactly instant or lockjaw, just stirring the pot.
If they did seriously say anything “game changing” then that suggests that two extremely canny politicians did something extraordinarily cretinous. I’ll back the Herald having weak news over that most days, without any further information.
I still think you don't acknowledge how far out on a limb Johns and his journalists have gone already. You don't do that over nothing.