Posts by Russell Brown
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Hard News: Never mind the quality ..., in reply to Bryce Edwards,
And then I linked to the Audrey Young article/announcement from a couple of weeks ago that specified who the guest columnists would be:
Gah. My bad. I didn't realise the the context in which you linked to Audrey's column. I'll note that above.
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Hard News: We can do better than this, in reply to chinashop,
In all the interviews over the last few days, has anyone asked John Key if he was aware Slater and Lusk successfully manipulated candidate selections in his party, and what he plans to do to prevent that happening again in the future?
I've been surprised no one has mentioned it, because it's really significant -- and it will be the subject of considerable internal discussion in National.
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Hard News: We can do better than this, in reply to chinashop,
/delurking, hi!
Hello!
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Hard News: We can do better than this, in reply to mpledger,
She was probably interviewed by Hager about the ACC/Pullar thing so knew something was coming.
Good point. You're very probably right.
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I ran out of time to put this in the post, but the past week's news seems likely to have a very significant bearing on Slater's defence in a defamation case:
Blogger Cameron Slater should be able to claim the mantle "journalist" to protect his sources in a defamation case, the High Court at Auckland has heard.
But defamation expert Julian Miles, QC, said if the blogger did then refuse to reveal his sources he would struggle to defend claims his blog posts about a businessman were "honest opinion".
Mr Miles was called to the High Court to offer expert advice in a defamation action against Slater - the first case in New Zealand in which the definition of "journalist" has been a key issue.
Former Hell Pizza executive Matt Blomfield has alleged Slater defamed him in a string of posts on his Whale Oil website.
An earlier district court decision found Slater did not qualify as a journalist and would have to reveal who gave him the documents and computer hard drive on which his posts were based.
Mr Miles said a series of posts to the blog during 2011 and 2012 showed Slater had developed a pattern of work which involved receiving information and then publishing it. It meant he should qualify for the protection enjoyed by journalists, he said.
There's no public interest in this story. It seems like another paid-for hit job.
Also: note that what Slater's trying to avoid disclosing is the source of stolen computer documents. From memory, he's quoted bragging about having other people's stolen inboxes twice in the book.
This is why all the kvetching about Hager's use of the messages in his book is so contemptible.
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This is unbelievable.
Judith Collins was "unwise" to pass details of a public servant to blogger Cameron Slater and she is now on her last chance, Prime Minister John Key says.
His warning comes just five months after an earlier final warning to his Justice Minister.
Speaking before the Maori King's anniversary celebrations outside Turangawaewae in Ngaruawahia this afternoon, Mr Key said he could only take Ms Collins' word that she only leaked public servant Simon Pleasants' job title and also phone numbers and not his name to Slater.
And here's the email, posted today by @whaledump. With Pleasants' name in it.
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Fisher has an interview with Slater:
Whaleoil blogger Cameron Slater has described his man in the Beehive as "squeamish" and "gutless" for not fronting up to the media and talking about their relationship.
And:
Slater said his style of politics differed from many others. "I play politics like Fijians play rugby. My role is smashing your face into the ground.
"Politics is a nasty despicable game and its played by nasty despicable people. Where's the surprise in this?
"There's a lot of people want to be involved in politics but there are not very many people who want to say and do things. The vast majority of people are squeamish.
"The squeamish people are gutless, they run for the hills, they don't speak to the media. And you have to question that - look at all the people who are running and hiding and not talking where I'm the one speaking to the media. If it all comes down to me I'm prepared to front."
This may not be helping.
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Hard News: We can do better than this, in reply to Kracklite,
Because if some women could be raped and sexual predators are actively on the prowl at these “Princess Parties” with Farrar’s knowledge or even facilitation, the tasteful, gentlemanly thing to do is to keep quiet to maintain calm at the bowling club. Charming, Pete.
The book gives no indication that Farrar was part of the disgusting rape conversation in the book, even if he ran the parties. And I really don't think he would have been. He can be faulted for being matey with these guys, but I do not think he would be part of that kind of talk.
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Hard News: We can do better than this, in reply to Ianmac,
Jared Savage wrote the post about Mr Liu and the $100,000 bottle of wine paid as a donation to the Labour Party. Even though it was wrong he never withdrew and apologised.
As a reporter, it's not his role to apologise, even for a total screaming fuckup like that. It's his editors' -- and I think Tim Murphy got himself way too deep in that one. It was utterly ungracious of the paper, although there was a very grudging correction.
I'd be more inclined to blame Savage for some of the language in that series -- particularly the constant reference to a staff dinner on a boat as "a riverboat trip".
I wonder if Cameron Slater was his source?
Given the context -- remember, there was an expedited OIA there too, and the Minister of Immigration lied about his handling of it -- I think it's a reasonable bet it came through similar channels. But the Herald itself was messed around on the OIA too.
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Hard News: We can do better than this, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
It’s over to you, Pete, to identify a left-leaning blogger with even a tenth of the venality and vindictiveness of WhaleOil.
I feel kind of icky agreeing with Pete (sorry, Mr. George) but if our baseline is “not as bad as Whaleoil” that’s a depressingly low bar you can clear without lifting your feet.
Which is really just a morally elevated way of saying "everyone does it". It's simply not true. What has happened in and around Whaleoil these past few years is actually of a different nature.