Talley’s defamation trial: The injured workers not heard in court
Documents released at the close of the Talley’s defamation trial show workers at the South Island food processor say they had to fight for years for compensation, and sell furniture to survive, after getting hurt on the job.
Talley’s has sued Television New Zealand, and its Christchurch reporter Thomas Mead, over six stories broadcast in 2021-22 criticising the company’s health and safety record.
The five-week defamation trial finished last week, with Justice Pheroze Jagose reserving his judgment.
A request by the Herald for a series of documents in the case languished for four weeks, but was finally fulfilled last week, the day after hearings concluded. All documents sought were eventually obtained.
The documents included briefs of evidence not heard in open court, including from a pair of former Talley’s workers injured on the job who said the company delayed and fought not to compensate them.
Winston screams stasi censorship, Sean declares he’s going to war, the Free Speech Union gets to pretend they aren’t a Zionist front group, but the REAL challenge to Free Speech is Talley’s attempt to punish TVNZ for being truthful about Talley’s appalling history of abusing worker rights!
Talley’s has since 2017, under ACC’s Accredited Employer Programme, effectively contracted out of the state-run worker compensation scheme to manage it in-house through its Injury Management Unit.
These corporate scumbags have been messing with workers injuries long enough!
Journalistic privilege gives protection between the whistleblower, the journalist and the media platform, for Talley’s to try it on and breach that so they can go on a witch hunt against whistleblowers is extraordinary and should be leading every news platform because it cuts to the heart of corporate power vs the Fourth Estate.
Talley’s is NZs biggest scumbag company.
Talley’s crew hacked off by hair shaving
Crew members from a Nelson-based Talley’s ship say they feel violated after their hair was shaved to comply with company drug-testing.
AFFCO blasted over ‘petty’ t-shirt dispute
The Council of Trade Unions is blasting AFFCO’s decision to stand down five staff for wearing campaign t-shirts, as completely ridiculous.
AFFCO said the t-shirts, with the slogan ‘Jobs that count’ on the front and ‘Meat Workers Union’ on the back…resemble gang insignia.
Union says AFFCO/Talley’s is trying to muzzle free speech
The Meatworkers’ Union says Affco Talleys is trying to stop its workers talking about the company on Facebook and other social media.
Over the last three years ACC has paid out $8 million to nearly 5000 Talley’s employees – that’s more than one injury for every worker employed by Talley’s companies. 1286 Talley’s workers were injured on the job last year alone.
AFFCO Talley’s is run by fanatical anti-unionists and have so much power they can play games like attempting to force TVNZ to hand over whistleblower information so they can intimidate everyone else in the media.
Pretending that Sean vs the BSA is the biggest free speech issue in NZ is a culture war fight masquerading as a free speech issue.
Right wing rednecks getting pinged for being dickheads is not nearly as important as one of the most anti-union corporations in NZ trying to silence TVNZ from exposing them.
So why is the BSA going after Sean?
So what is actually going on here?
Why is Goldsmith siding with the BSA?
I think this over reach is being Green lit for one reason and one reason only.
Money.
Hear me out.
Freeview is about to be killed, when that happens, what the hell will the BSA rule over?
Radio frequencies and Sky?
The BSA get part of their revenue from the Broadcasters paying licences, if Freeview goes, that’s a lot of revenue the BSA won’t have.
Redefining transmission allows the BSA to take over online broadcasting, and the only question from their point of view now how do you levy that online broadcast?
One argument will be based on revenue, another argument will be on how many are viewing the content.
This has sweet fuck all to do with ‘broadcasting standards’ and everything to do with finding a new revenue stream once Freeview is switched off.
The reason Goldsmith threw Sean and Reality Check Radio under the BSA bus is because off this over reach is successful, it is creating a new revenue stream for the BSA and thus the Government.
Sean vs the BSA is a cage death match between the Nazis and the Daleks in that you aren’t sure who to cheer for.
Talley’s VS TVNZ impacts the very core of Journalistic privilege and corporate power strangling the fourth estate.
One is FAR more important than the other.
Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here.
Solidarity with the unadvantaged – boycott TALLEYS?
Also Deep South ice cream? Which has been tossed around a bit.
I’ve put important certain words in capitals. Could it be that if sales did drop because of a boycott, we might lose our ability to buy our own ice cream in our country because the domestic market has become unprofitable for the makers?
Here are business details about the dairy industry and Talleys in a time sequence – there is a great turnaround and big money in Talleys activities. Those who want to understand business in this country should regularly follow good sources. It is complicated – juggling really.
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Wednesday, 28 October 2020 09:08
https://www.ruralnewsgroup.co.nz/dairy-news/dairy-general-news/ice-cream-out-of-favour
Ice cream out of favour?
Written by Sudesh Kissun
Is ice cream falling out of favour of major dairy companies in New Zealand?
Last year, Fonterra sold its iconic Tip Top TIP TOP ice cream business to UK-based Froneri.
Now Canterbury milk processor Synlait has sold its Deep South brand and associated ice cream operations to Talley’s TALLEY Group for an undisclosed sum.
New owner Talley’s is one of NZ’s BIGGEST ICE CREAM biggest ice cream manufacturers.
The company also owns a majority stake in Open Country Dairy and wholly owns meat processor Affco.
The 42-year old Deep South brand was owned by Dairyworks since 2016.
Last year Synlait bought Dairyworks as part of its strategy to grow its consumer brands footprint in cheese and butter. Synlait chief executive Leon Clement says the decision to sell the Deep South ice cream brand is in line with that strategy.
Dairyworks chief executive Tim Carter says Dairyworks is going through a period of rapid expansion in its core categories of cheese, speciality cheese, yogurt, and convenience butters.
“While Deep South is a successful part of our current portfolio, ice cream is not our core business. The brand has strong growth potential for a business more focused on ice cream.”
When buying Dairyworks, Synlait said the acquisition would provide Synlait with another meaningful move towards the delivery of its ‘Everyday Dairy’ strategy and complemented the company’s recent purchase of cheese manufacturer Talbot Forest.
“This business is a great strategic fit for us and an important step in growing our presence in the Everyday Dairy category,” Synlait said.
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Companies NZ
https://www.companiesnz.com › company › 3207108 › deep-south-ice-cream-limited
DEEP SOUTH ICE CREAM LIMITED -CHRISTCHURCH -NEW ZEALAND – Companies NZ
DEEP SOUTH ICE CREAM LIMITED is a NZ Limited Company from Christchurch in NEW ZEALAND. It was incorporated on 26 Nov 2010 and dissolved on 30 Jan 2019 and has the status: Removed. The company’s
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NZX https://www.nzx.com › announcements › 361702
Dairyworks Limited Sells Deep South Ice Cream
Dairyworks Limited, a subsidiary of Synlait Milk Limited (Synlait), has sold its Deep South brand and associated ice cream operations to –
Talley’s for an undisclosed sum, effective 12 November 2020.
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exportertoday.co.nz https://exportertoday.co.nz › news › nz-icecream-maker-deep-south-seeks-more-exports
NZ icecream maker Deep South seeks more exports
Jan 25, 2024
That is a perception the business owners hope the rebranding will change. The rebranded ice cream, featuring images of New Zealand landscapes with the slogan “we make our icecream here” will …
South Island icecream maker Deep South is scooping up market share in the North Island – and also in Australia, Japan and China, according to Stuff.co.nz.
In December last year the business was sending one export container overseas every six or seven weeks, now it’s sending one every three weeks.
“This time next year it will hopefully be one a week,” director Mike Killick said.
Stronger exports would help offset the seasonal fall in sales in the New Zealand winter.
The clean, green New Zealand image appealed to overseas customers, Killick said, and the business was currently fielding about five or six enquiries a week from interested distributors as far afield Libya.
Deep South has one factory in Invercargill and another in Hornby and historically most of its sales have been in Canterbury and South Canterbury…
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Talleys https://www.talleys.co.nz › news › important-update-on-our-ice-cream-business
Important Update on Our Ice Cream Business – talleys.co.nz
Apr 1, 2025
Our ice cream business, NZ Creameries—home to Deep South and Motueka Creamery—has now transitioned to our dairy business, Open Country Dairy. This move allows us to better align our expertise and continue delivering the same great ice cream you love.
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nz.top10place.co https://nz.top10place.com › deep-south-2033386722.html
DEEP SOUTH | Food & Beverage Company | Christchurch
Deep South Ice cream embodies the spirit of the South – no airs or graces, just good old-fashioned pure ingredients brought together to make delicious rich and creamy ice cream. We are a New Zealand owned and
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ZoomInfo https://www.zoominfo.com › p › Alexis-Allison › 8116785407
Alexis Allison – Owner – Deep South Ice Cream | ZoomInfo
View Alexis Allison’s business profile as Owner at Deep South Ice Cream. Find contact’s direct phone number, email address, work history, and more.
[Alex Allison has an address in Bavaria. The pale print on the site says that
Deep South is a business serving companies.]
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katalystbusiness.co.nz https://www.katalystbusiness.co.nz › business-profiles › 028171.html
Business Profiles of New Zealand’s Top 100 Companies
Business profile excerpt from the Katalyst New Zealand business database. Start your free trial to see complete profiles on 17,700 NZ businesses Activities: Manufacturing and wholesale of premium ice cream, cordial,
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Latest on RNZ. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/mediawatch/576941/mediawatch-talley-s-vs-tvnz-in-defamation-confrontation
…Talley’s sued TVNZ over six 1News reports in 2021 and 2022 – and also, unusually, sued Christchurch-based reporter Thomas Mead individually as well.
The series alleged problems with hygiene, health and safety at two Talley’s plants.
“To the public, the company presents a spotless image of staff producing frozen vegetables with a smile on their face, but 1News can now pull back the curtain of a different side to its Ashburton factory,” Mead told viewers in July 2021.
Whistleblowers – some of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity – told 1News about problems at two plants and shared photos of dirty equipment and apparent hazards.,,
I made them a promise, and I have kept it,” Thomas Mead told the court, insisting TVNZ protected their identities because they feared retaliation from Talley’s.
In court, Talley’s lawyer Brian Dickey KC said TVNZ could not produce any evidence that any workers had faced any actual retaliation. He alleged the anonymous sources were wrong and one had tried to extort the company.
Dickey even called one report by Mead “a hit piece”, and said TVNZ’s presentation was overly emotional and its reports displayed “animus” against the company…
To win the case, Talley’s must show it suffered pecuniary loss.
“This adds a level because they have to show their business has been affected in a way that has cost them money,” said Murphy, who watched the trial from the press bench…
Talley’s said contracts with Countdown (now Woolworths) and Hello Fresh were affected.
“They also had the cost of an independent inquiry by former Police Commissioner Mike Bush, and the cost of a PR firm to handle all of this – and then costs of their management time diverted from their factories and so on,” Newsroom co-editor Tim Murphy told Mediawatch….
“From past defamation cases that went a long way – even if they didn’t get to trial – both parties will have spent millions in legal costs to this point,” Murphy told Mediawatch.
“Talley’s have also gone for ‘indemnity costs’ so there could still be a substantial amount [to pay] for TVNZ should it lose.”…
One 1News broadcast in 2021 kicked off with host Simon Dallow saying: “a whistleblower tells 1News” Talley’s Ashburton plant was an “accident waiting to happen”.
In court it emerged that the anonymous source in question had not used those precise words, though Mead himself had put those words to the source during a conversation..
[This seems a reasonable approach to presenting news better. On the surface it seems fair to hold this media treatment accountable. But it will also be a warning shot across the bow!]
Could this case prompt a move away from paraphrasing to make stories more engaging and comprehensible – and towards a drier, longer and a little less simplified style on television?
“In the quiet moments, all of those involved at TVNZ will see that there needs to be a tighter, clearer, more precise and weighted use of language and words – and images as well – in the bringing-together and presentation of these kinds of stories,” Murphy told Mediawatch.
“It’s no bad thing in a way for all the media to be given a sharp reminder that precision extends to every element of an investigative story and its presentation. The captions, the summary, the pull-quotes, the scripts, the promos of stories are all subject to this sort of scrutiny.”…
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