My response to Vision NZ’s Hannah Tamaki’s accusations against me

Here was how Vision NZ started regarding their appearance on The Bradbury Group last week…

…here’s how it went…

…Firstly – they picked the worst picture of me to use didn’t they? I’m far more handsome than that photo!

Secondly, there was no ambush, it was made very clear to Hannah and Vision NZ that I intended to ask her directly about not being invited onto the debate and what her winning would mean for Tamaki Makaurau.

I asked all those questions, and then said ‘Blessed be the fruit’ to her face, which was really very, very, very funny.

The Bradbury Group is an independent political podcast broadcast out of the ROVA studios at Mediaworks that is sponsored by Waatea. It is currently one of the most popular Political Podcasts in the country and is screened on ROVA, Youtube, Waatea’s Facebook page and SkyTV. I have worked as a freelancer at Waatea for over a decade and hosted their Waatea 5th Estate on Sky TV 8 years ago.

Look.

Every single one of us in a Liberal Progressive Democracy all agree as the entry point for participation in the process of democracy to put violence, harassment and intimidation at the gate before entering.

Hannah’s Husband, the right dishonourable Bishop Brian Tamaki has endorsed street violence against other faiths FFS, he’s actively engaging in the use of street violence, street harassment and street intimidation.

After the siege and violence at a local Library alongside their burning of flags and attacking other groups on the street, if Destiny Church aren’t ‘Brown Shirts’, they sure as Christ are Brunette Blouses right?

Hannah’s husband has breached the agreement all those participating in the democratic franchise agree to, which is no violence, no intimidation and no harassment.

Waatea didn’t rule Hannah out from the Tamaki Makaurau by-election debate, Hannah ruled herself out by refusing to call out her husbands use of street violence!

That’s a basic premise of any democratic engagement.

Waatea decided to simply focus on those candidates who could make an actual difference.

As for my questions, challenging her on her husbands record is totally legitimate, pretending otherwise is bullshit.

She has never denounced his tactics, so she is stained by them.

As for questions over which books she would ban, which flags from other religions she would burn and how the Rainbow Community would feel safe, those are all legitimate questions to ask from the communities who would be horrified if she actually won.

Asking her if her campaign was a prequel to the Handmaid’s Tale was also a bit of a highlight.

As for her allegations:

• I write my own questions, no one writes them for me and no one sees them before we go to air. I’ve been in this game for 33 years, I’m an arsehole all on my own, no outside help required there.
• I am not racist and I was not picking on her because she was a woman.
• She may not have been at the Libraries when the Destiny Church thugs turned up, but that doesn’t excuse her association with them.
• She can’t criticise my questions challenging her on her association with Bishop Brian and then in the next breath claim all these projects she’s done in association with Destiny.

As for her defence, you can decide on how credible it is…

Brothers and Sisters.

It is not up to me to tell anyone in Tamaki Makaurau who to vote for, that’s your privilege, but it is my job as a broadcaster to show you who the candidates are.

My questions allowed you to see her justifications which were to ban demonic books in our libraries, justify attacking foreign religions on the streets and defending her husbands tactics.

I didn’t ambush Hannah Tamaki, I showed voters who she is.

As for this…

…as Karl was ejected from the Marae, he squealed that he knew jujitsu which I found very funny.

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