So now we know why Slater worked so hard pretending to be a Journalist to gain legal privilege to protect his sources in his defamation case.
Let’s be very clear, this is terribly damaging to John Key and his Government. It’s not damaging because Slater does awful insidious and cruel shit, that’s not the surprise or issue. Who he takes money from and who write his posts, that’s the kind of garbage one expects. What is so damaging to Key and his Government is that senior members of the Government would willingly collude with such awful insidious and cruel shit.
NZers don’t like dirty politics. Angry politics, sure. But dirty politics like this? That’s just not something we enjoy or tolerate here, so watching senior members of the government aid and abet Slater will be a real eye opener and highlight the manufactured good guy laid back routine John Key has mastered.
This book will have an immediate impact in the place it needs to impact most, popular opinion and within the media.
I refused to allow Seven Sharp to use me as a manufactured balance for their Slater piece, because allowing a far right hate speech merchant like Slater to have the kind of respectability the mainstream media provide was wrong. Slater is the main source of news for underfunded news rooms in this country and realising that Slater and the Nats have played them will not only have them reeling, it will make them furious.
What we now know from the book is the PMs office and senior politicians roll around in the Cameron Slater sewer and do despicable things. Rodney Hide was threatened and blackmailed into standing down, Tobacco lobbyists print articles on Whaleoil and then comment with the most disgusting hateful language, Jordan Williams smears Labour Party sex lives on Wikipedia, Slater has a prostitute friend who tries to dig up dirt via the brothels on Len Brown, John Boscowan, Labour MPs, the Herald’s editors and Duncan Garner. Slater had a prisoner removed to a remote prison who ended up attempting suicide because Slater’s mate didn’t want her daughter visiting the inmate. Slater hacked into Labour Party computers and most damning, Slater was provided information from the Secret Intelligence Service.
How is it that the Press Gallery were totally oblivious to all these smears? Why does it take Hager to do actual journalism in this country? Is using the intelligence apparatus of our country to feed a far right hate speech merchant acceptable to everyone else?
Expect a much angrier, far more critical media confronting Key in a way he’s never seen before. His nice guy masquerade has been shattered by the revelations in this book.
Listening to right wing apologists try and defend this filth is the lowest most pathetic stuff I’ve ever heard. What a sad little manDavid Farrar is once the tactics of the Right are on display
Key is trying to say it’s just the work of a left wing conspiracy theorist, unfortunately for Key 200 people don’t turn up at a bookstore just for conspiracy theories. People on social media can read with horror what these pricks do and they are judging it and passing it around to their friends and their networks and that will make an impact.
These are deeply concerning allegations and it is a terrible state of affairs when this hate can become the norm.
It is now up to decent folk in NZ to make a decision – do you want to reward this hate or do you want to vote it out?
One of the things this cornucopia of scandals is going to highlight (I hope) is that NZ news organisations have been sidelining the real journalists in favour of muffins like Hoskings, Henry and a thousand other insipid nobodies.
I hope that one of the long term consequences of all this is a restoration of the profession in New Zealand. Our democracy cannot function properly without it. We owe Hager a debt of gratitude.
“…. NZ news organisations have been sidelining the real journalists in favour of muffins like Hoskings, Henry and a thousand other insipid nobodies.”
And overpaid muffins at that. I’ll wager there are quite a few around who’d be prepared to do investigative pieces on half some of the salaries – at least partially solving some of the under-resourcing in newsrooms.
I absolutely agree. Journalism has gone to the dogs and in an insidious manner – depth of Journalism and the editors are at fault. I would love to see a complete turnaround, people want hard news – not the shit Hosking, Garner and the like dish out each day.
I love reading high quality journalism, I hope that the renaissance has come. BTW John Key has always been a dirt bag, never trusted the man. Not just because of his politics but because of his narcissistic power that enables him to do anything he wants without much of a fight. When he loses the election, mark my words he will not stay in Parliament.
NixonKey I like it! It really puts “higher standards” into perspective.
Its cleanout time for Dirty Politics in this country. This will be a vote changer for some, a lot of people still read books and don’t majorly get into political blogs or social networking. They will be surprised and highly unimpressed with the revelations on that nice Mr Key’s shenanigans.
It will be unavoidable to escape unfolding news on this …so alot of people will be forced to make a decision in their own minds…even if they dont discuss it with others…..
And its all good news for those of us who have lost patience with this Keyhole character…
Well I don’t know about everyone else Martyn, but it is certainly not acceptable to me.
In my opinion the secret intelligence services of this country are running totally out of control.
The fact that our so called Secret Security agencies, who are supposed to be public servants, are so pally with the extreme Right, should be the concern of everyone.
The Secret Services of this country SIS and GCSB, using the cover of secrecy, are not accountable to our democracy.
The opposition Labour Party has promised an investigation into the activities of our secret services. It is well overdue.
The SIS and GCSB are closely tied to the Secret Service, and military forces of the USA and their interests and this is considered normal.
The secret intelligence services of this country mounted a witch hunt against Ahmed Zouie, a democratically elected MP from Algeria who was forced to flee his country in the face of a murderous Western backed military coup. The SIS tried to send Zouie back to Algeria and to his certain death. The hounding of Zouie by the SIS was based on evidence and testimony which the SIS refused to reveal, much of it coming from the French Secret Service, the DGSE which was friendly to the Algerian Military Regime. The DGSE, is the same French secret service agency that murdered Fernando Fereira and sank the Rainbow Warrior. And which despite their close links to western intellingence agencies the GCSB and the SIS did nothing to prevent or apprehend the perpetrators.
The secret intelligence agencies of this country through their close operational and other links to US forces, in their effort to do their bit in the “War on Terror”, in collaboration with the Police and the SAS mounted a hugely expensive year long para military surveillance operation against a manufactured so called terrorist threat in the Urewera ranges but encompassing in its drag net all sorts of people right across the country.
This whole operation which came into the open with aggressive and dramatic illegal para military raids on Tuhoe communities with numerous illegal detentions, ended with the jailing of well known Tuhoe leader Tama Iti and one other person on relatively minor fire arms breaches. Ultimately resulting in an official apology to Tuhoe from the police for the police’s involvement, but no apology form the SIS, GCSB or SAS.
The secret services of this country in close collaboration with the US secret services and again with the use of the SAS and the police mounted another illegal surveillance operation ending in another over the top dramatic paramilitary raid on Kim Dotcom for the heinous alleged crime of copy right infringement.
Subsequent investigation of the illegal spying on Kim Dotcom uncovered the fact that the GCSB in particular regularly and knowingly had broken the law on numerous other occassions, illegally spying on at least 88 New Zealanders, when their founding charter expressly forbid such spying. That such illegality was forgiven and retroactive legislation was passed by the current government to cover up this illegality makes it no less troubling.
A warning from the past, to the future:
No-one’s coming for you, Pat.
Gormless fool cannot be bothered reading.
There are a bunch of traitors amongst us, who see new zealand’s future as a fascist dictatorship, where they and their rich friends galavant around doing as they please, with the average Kiwi as their slaves.
The Irish found themselves in a similar position pre-famine. The land was owned by foreigners, and traitorous Protestants amongst them. When the famine came, they were told to starve as the food was taken out under armed guard.
Fontera is our version of the Potato.
@PAT O’DEA – excellent post.
Re your final point is more relevant to NZ than we ever imagined. This scenario is only a vote away and is something I fear will come, if this Key led government is re-elected for another three year term.
Don’t do it Kiwis!
Vote for a change for the better.
Hats off to Hager – and also to Jon Stevenson. Nice to see a dedication to truth; a refreshing alternative to that festering pit of sleaze and hatred that is the whale oil blog
I sincerely hope that you are right about the pubic outrage and end of media swooning to the right wing tune.
Based on events in the US I am unable to share your optimism. Most people simply cannot come to terms with the self serving greed and outright evil which now masquerades as elected government. So they don’t. Denial is easier. Going along is easier. The pain of knowing is put off. The msm is happy to help.
To be honest, the 2nd day after the launch of this book, the MSM are doing everything to keep a lid on it. They are still showing pics of the smiling assassin, they have Judas on, playing the victim. I also don’t think the ppl of our lovely country, care at all. For the most part, when asked, ppl I know have no idea of what is going on in politics and I am still getting the glazed over/eye roll when I dare to speak of politics! The election is looming, there are huge ramifications from this book, KDC is about to take centre stage and the average NZer.. couldn’t care less. We are sunk in apathy and if some of us can’t shake the rest of us up, they will get back in and then, well we’re all f*****.
Maybe there needs to be an investigation into why New Zealand journalism has come to such a sorry state. Are the wrong people becoming journalists? Are they being trained well enough and by the right people?Are there too many media courses? Are New Zealand’s current crop of middle tier journalists mediocre by nature and just content to churn information through the system rather than actually critically investigate stories? Why is it that nearly everyone who actually is carrying out investigative reporting outside the mainstream from Lauder Finem to Nicky Hager?
In other words, has there been an endemic and systemic failure of journalism as a whole that has been developing since the 1990s.
“Expect a much angrier, far more critical media confronting Key in a way he’s never seen before. ”
This is a Tui ad comment, Bomber – yeah, right !
Key has to resign using sis this way is totally corrupt and if not criminal he is not fit person to hold public office he is the minister in charge of the sis it total abuse of power he must resign those involved Have a lot explaining to do hopefully before a judge. Run john while you still can
I’m not sure resigning will cover it. Making private use of SIS powers, deliberately not fixing Christchurch, wrecking NZ for profit and so much more… son of a bitch must pay.
So much hate, such a sad person
When they see Key and Slater even the angels weep.
I loved this quote from an article in today’s online edition of NZH:
“[Cameron Slater] said he would also complain to the Privacy Commission, relying on a recent High Court ruling to force from author Nicky Hager his source material for the book.”
Hang on… Could this be the same Cameron Slater who appealed a court ruling to reveal his sources?
Put down that bowl of sour grapes, Cam.
The thing that has me really fizzing isn’t so much the current event unfolding , it’s more the future revelations to come . The sack of shit has been punctured and its contents are spilling out in front of an aghast population of NZ’rs who’ve been treated like schmucks for years .
I feel as if it’s Christmas . I’m dizzy with delight .
I wish my mum was still alive to see this day . She had her farm swindled off her by a deliberate crashing of rural land values running in parrallel to 22% interest rates and diving at-the-farm-gate returns . The Bank effectively defrauded my parents , and myself from our otherwise freehold property . And of course , we were not the only ones .
And thank you The Daily Blog . What an extraordinary institution you’re becoming . I’m very proud to be a part of the process . The Revolution .
I love it countryboy. “I feel as if it’s Christmas . I’m dizzy with delight”
Me too.
The shit has finally stuck to Teflon John. Now that is true political Karma.
More than that Jim , – its pouring out his mouth !!! – ewwwww…where can I get a gas mask ?….it REEKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
True equity and social justice and freedom from corruption still remain distant goals ,Economic power has been diminished ,,The rich own the government ,,When the majority own the economy
,,True independence will be in sight , ,
Me too Country Boy, total glee, happy happy joy joy. Funny Key’s little catch cry catching him in the arse, ” if you’ve got nothing to hide then you nothing to worry fear”. Funny funny funny,
…Expect a much angrier, far more critical media confronting Key in a way he’s never seen before. His nice guy masquerade has been shattered by the revelations in this book…
The rot goes deep. Hager’s book provides the evidence and more of what many of us have suspected for a long time. I doubt we’ll see a considerable shift in the quality of the media, only a feign sense of “balance”, however the revelations in this book are likely to be given limited airtime, debate or downplayed with the intention of them being forgotten.
One can easily recall how the quality of the media has degenerated since 2009 and in particular 2011/2012, to feign balance is necessary so as not to be a complete give away.
John Armstrong, probably the most eager of the msm to rectify that public perception of balance in their writing, has been quick off the mark to do exactly as you surmise. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=11308460
Yep, when the tone and positioning of his usual contributions are taken into account, Armstrong makes a big call in this column. And what is particularly interesting are the comments; overwhelmingly they are critical of Jonkey and the nats. It seems that some sleepy hobbits are waking up at last. I’m loving it!
Spot on Andy K.
I just watched the midday news on TV3. There was about 2-3 minutes on Hager’s book, then about 3-4 mins on Slater saying Hager was wrong, then 7-8 mins on rugby and 10’ish on overseas issues (I particularly needed to know about a lost child that was found….way more than how my country is being manipulated………so thank you TV3 for telling me what (you think) I need to know and distracting my attention from stupid and irrelevant NZ politics that’ll effect NZ well into the future…..clearly NO need to look at that info, moving right along.
The cover up begins……..It’s amazing how NZ is controlled by the rich via tax rorts, the (Lame street) media and the law (note how you don’t often get rich guys going to jail……hell no…..those young Maoris pinching sweets and looking at me in a ‘funny way’ must go to jail though !!!!)……..cue a ‘Not the nine O’clock news’ racism sketch……
Unfortunately I agree entirely with Andy K …was pathetic coverage on the 5th page of the Eve Standard today!….wud have been all over the front page and for days I ‘f boot was on the other foot against the political left.
I heard David Cunliffe on “Morning Report” this morning answering questions from Guyon Espiner about the book and its implications for the Prime Minister. The most telling part of the interview was when David refused to allow Espiner to change the subject, ignored Espiner asking the same question repeatedly because he didn’t get the answer he wanted and kept going. Espiner gave an audible sigh of exasperation as he realized that his red herrings and spin were not going to work this time. Priceless!
I listened to that too. I also listened to GE interviewing Joyce earlier on the same topic.
GE is a Jack Russell interviewer insofar as he bothers and nags with interruptions until he feels he is moving the interview towards the conclusion that he wants.
With Joyce, he constantly interrupted and generally a bigger pain than usual; with Cunliffe, he allowed him to answer the question and develop the answer into the party political mantra, something he did not allow Joyce to do.
Cunliffe got a better ride than Joyce, GE kept asking the same questions because Cunliffe would not answer the question that was asked.
Cunliffe has almost perfected the Lauren Bacall ‘chin on chest look out of the top of the eyes’ look, except with more chins
“Slater is the main source of news for underfunded news rooms in this country and realising that Slater and the Nats have played them will not only have them reeling, it will make them furious.”
Aww come on, do you think they really give a toss? Will Jo Average even notice this particular sideshow or care if they do?
The only way it might get traction is if the other parties keep bringing it up and the media has to give it space, but somehow i suspect they won’t in case Nick has some dirt on them. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
This country is overpopulated with a bunch of gormless morons sitting around waiting for The Messiah.
Listening today to the rats who are implicated in this book I concluded that there is more chance of finding Jack the Ripper mid bridge tournament in a retirement home in Tauranga than getting a straight word out of any of them.
A whole collection of people who talk in code and half-truths.
Rodney Hide questioned why Hager never asked him about the blackmail threats. Would you have told him the whole story Rodney or even any of the story and would you have forewarned Key et al? At what point would court action have began to stop Hager releasing his book?
Collins, whose fake laughter betrayed her terror, let slip that Cam had called her today from wherever the fuck he is overseas to talk about I can’t guess what.
David Farrar was even more hard to listen to on Radio Live down playing, twisting and turning and being utterly nonsensical. This left Garner to go on ad nauseam about Helen Clarks antics back in the day. The minor difference though to that is hacking the Labour Party website, that Farrar felt was so open and so easy to get into, that I assumed he felt it was legit pickings for the dishonest. And the not so small mention of the SIS information.
What a wicked web we weave eh?
Should we now be asking whether Key himself, or any of his ‘blind funds’, have financially empowered Slater? Seems if intelligence is currency then yes, but what about actual currency?
Did Slater get funding from companies due to Key’s insight and influence?
Having not yet read Hager’s book, I can’t answer these questions.
Did Hager?
I feel this area is being completely missed.
While it doesn’t look good for the Nats we’re not yet at the level of deviousness seen in US politics. Nixon got caught doing much worse than anything alleged here and I’d be very surprised if they can trace any of this back to Key himself. I mean Dick Cheney even outed a covert CIA agent and blew the covers of her many informants, potentially endangering lives just to get back at her husband for publicly contradicting a Bush speech.
Also I’d like to know where the outrage is about Hager obtaining illegally hacked emails and publishing their contents. At least the GCSB still needs a warrant to spy on people and generally doesn’t publish what it finds and sell it at the local shop. Slater is a nasty little man and everyone knows how despicable he is, but that doesn’t justify throwing the law out the window to get at him.
The Slater crawls out from under a rock,,, ((Quote))from the new Bible ,,, Slater ,,Christchurch,,, The place is fucked ,,They should just board it up and close it down ,,,Peter Smith ,,,,(friend) ”Real tragedy ,but it will fuck Labour for the election ,,,,Slater ,,”yep Blessings …””Slater …”What I can’t believe is how we have to bail out these useless pricks on the South Island again ,,,”Smith ,”I said to someone today ,,”National should let them rot ,,,after all they are all useless scum ,,,Labour voters especially in areas where the earthquake hit _ well hopefully more scum Labour voters will piss off to Australia __ At least the fucking uninsured get nothing ,,,””Slater .””those suburbs are hard core Labour – The owners will be Nat voters though and the voters tenants so they should get nothing ,, , !!!
When Nicky Hager published the Hollow Men, he was threatened many times with legal action but none ever took place. That was for two reasons: 1. He told the truth. 2: He wrote it carefully and made sure to double-check his facts and his sources. Now I read that Cameron Slater is threatening legal action – bring it on troll man! Notice how John Key has quickly tried to distance himself from Slater, Key now claims that he hardly ever speaks to him and just reads his blogs a few times a year. Another lie which will catch up with him shortly.
We have already caught him out with that lie on the John Key Has Let Down NZ page on Facebook.
[…] Martyn Bradbury’s The Daily Blog: 1. “How Attack Politics Is Poisoning New Zealand’s Political Environment” 2. “What Hager Has Revealed With SlaterGate and NixonKey” […]
At this very moment, the right will be frantically fabricating a new Herald Dodgy Poll that will show National rising 6%, Labour dropping 5% and John Key’s approval rating rising by 10 points
I was close, but it was a Fairfax poll (still just as dodgy) and they tried to make it look less obviously a fix by reducing the figures slightly./origin-interactives.stuff.co.nz/polling/
Add up all the hits the Nats have taken this year. It doesn’t seem to matter how damning the exposes on them may be, it doesn’t dent their support base.
Time after time they’ve been shown to be underhanded liars, manipulators and abusers of their positions, lacking in the most basic ethics.
That’s appalling enough but what, to me, is even worse is that their supporters turn a blind eye rather than turn their backs. They’d rather look after No 1 than think of the greater good.
They say you are what you eat, well it’s clear you are what you support, too — if you’ll back a bunch of shockers like the lot in the blue benches, you’re as bad as they are. God help this country, because so many people in Godzone are clearly no damned good.
I agree. but would go further and say the fact that people vote AT ALL is a damning indictment of the level of critical thinking in this country. Our electoral system is a bad joke, we live in an oligarchy not a democracy – but it seems this can be passed off as anything in the land of smoke and mirrors and media awards.
Interesting. I don’t care if any of this is true or not. The economy is going well, and that would almost certainly be hurt by the Green’s anti-growth policies.
InternetMana is the hybrid drone of a self-serving fraud who wants to evade incarceration. It is a bastardization of democracy there is even a possibility that this monstrosity might sit in parliament.
If Labour could show credible chance of having sufficient majority to squash the minor parties or work with NZ First I would vote for them. Otherwise National are my best option.
Yeah, if you like your corruption to smile and wave at you.
Talk about left-wing filth seeking power. You scum have no show, take a look at your latest poll ratings. May you all sink in the sewer where you belong. Bradbury is no better than Hager, Campbell, McCarten, or slimey Goff, possibly a bigger charlatan.
Calling Labour left wing is funny – you might need to rethink mate!
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