NZ Herald: 8 Feb 2019: Matthew Hooton: Divorce looms for Labour and NZ First.
Bomber Bradbury describes this parody as ‘a work of fiction’.
Based on my exposure to National and Winston, I accept Bomber’s assessment as valid.
Hooton also produced a work of fiction last year when he penned the following:
Tough UN sanctions backed by the threat of imprisonment under New Zealand law mean only a handful of New Zealand businesspeople currently have any links with North Korea.
One of the few is Ross Meurant, who was Peters’ part-time agriculture, forestry, fishing and racing adviser from 1999 to 2004, when he resigned after it was revealed he was also working for Simunovich Fisheries and Barine Developments who were involved in the scampi inquiry. …
If something ever does come from Peters’ work to help normalise North Korea’s relationship with the rest of the world, Meurant will be well-placed to help other New Zealand businesspeople make their first approaches to the hermit kingdom.
I’m not sure of the current relationship between Ross Meurant and Winston, but it certainly does look like most of Winston’s musings on foreign policy and trade are in line with Meurant’s and very beneficial to him.
Some other disciple of similar pedigree to Hooton, went further to suggest that I was Winston’s Foreign Affairs adviser.
Facts are that in an interview with Mt Hooton where he specifically asked whether I was advising Winston, I informed him that his proposition was facile as Winston and I parted company during the fallout from the scampi affair – and that we had not ‘made up’.
Yet Mr. Hooton speculated as above via the cut & paste in the Herald – which brings me back to the dangers of main stream media.
At least, on the DAILY BLOG, one has the opportunity to challenge wishful thinking promulgated by contributors to media, who in my view are little more than political agents.
Ross Meurant:
After 21 years as a cop, Meurant resigned with the commissioned rank of inspector O/C Criminal Intelligence Section & V.I.P. Security; a nationwide profile role as a Red Squad riot group commander and an earlier reputation as a ruthless detective with a tendency to enforce the rule of police.
During 9 years as a Member of Parliament and the Executive as Under Secretary, he was accused of being an arms trader; was fired from the Executive by Jim Bolger for having a perceived conflict of interests (becoming a director of a Russian bank) and started the first political party to be registered under MMP.
After 4 years in the wilderness teaching kids to ride horse and property developing, he returned to Wellington as parliamentary adviser to Rt Hon Winston Peters where allegations of conflicted interests with roles he had with three major fishing companies and a race horse baron and later in false allegations of corruption culminating in the Scampi Enquiry.
From 2005 Ross lived abroad pursuing commercial options in Zimbabwe, the Balkans, Czech Rep, Syria, Russia, Morocco, UAE, Iran & North Korea.
Today in New Zealand he is trustee and managing director of NZ forestry and property assets owned by absentee Russians & Honorary Consul for Morocco.
Ross has a B.A. in politics; a Master’s in economics and law and COPs in law. He speaks Russian, rides horses and water-skis.
He is the author of:
Two biographies: The Red Squad Story & Beat to the Beehive.
Two novels: The Syrian Connection & Sex, Power and politics.
” Political agents ” is a very apt description.
The change of government so far has not mattered a damn as we are still a right wing state and that will be reinforced again next year if National succeeds in getting a majority.
There is a long list of agitators and Hooten would be near the top.
In 35 years we have gone from Muldoon’s oppression to the tyranny we have now.
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