Crowdfunding for Bradley Ambrose’s defamation case against John Key

Written By: - Date published: 11:26 am, March 4th, 2016 - 38 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, accountability, john key, journalism - Tags: , , ,

From Spinoff:

Crowdfund campaign launched for cameraman’s lawsuit against John Key

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched in an effort to ensure freelance camera operator Bradley Ambrose’s defamation suit against John Key makes it to court. The case, which is likely to see the prime minister take the stand, is set down for a two-week hearing at the Auckland High Court early next month.

Ambrose, whose recording of a conversation between the prime minister and former ACT Party leader John Banks at an Auckland cafe a fortnight before the 2011 general election sparked the so-called “teapot tapes” controversy, is suing Mr Key for a total of $1.25 million in damages.

For the case to go ahead, however, Ambrose needs to pay court fees of $38,000, which he can’t afford without support, he told the Spinoff this week.

The Givealittle campaign, which has been initiated by AUT journalism lecturer Greg Treadwell, seeks to raise those fees.

Ambrose claims that his employment has been affected. Key will try to write of Ambrose as a leftie with a grudge, but it isn’t so:

He rejected any suggestion that his action is politically motivated. “Saying that I am anti-Key or anti-National would be a way of discrediting anything I had to say before I even have a chance to say it,” he said.

“I had been a National supporter for as long as I can remember. When this occurred in 2011, I had voted National for 18 years, basically from the time I could first vote. I also thought Key was a good prime minister. Obviously this is written in past tense.

“I am not a political person but what I am is hurt. The only good thing about this experience is that it has opened my eyes to what is truly important. It’s also shown me how politics works in this country and it’s the last thing I’d want to be associated with.”

Read the piece on Spinoff for plenty more.

The Givealittle page is here:

As a result of the infamous Teapot Tape saga of 2011, work for freelance journalist and cameraman Bradley Ambrose dried up. Now he faces significant costs in his defamation case against PM John Key, including huge court fees. Can you help? He needs a total of $38,000 to be able to bring the case to court.

38 comments on “Crowdfunding for Bradley Ambrose’s defamation case against John Key ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Anne 1
    4 March 2016 at 11:59 am

    Bradley Ambrose says:

    “I am not a political person but what I am is hurt,”

    I know the feeling well and it never really goes away. It infiltrates into the deepest layers of one’s consciousness. It is ten times worse when you have done nothing wrong but the ‘powers that be’ (John Key and co. in this case) refuse to accept your innocence. The only release from the burden and discrimination you may continue to bear is to be vindicated of the wrong doing and that is the hardest part to achieve. The guilty parties will close ranks and prevent the victim from accessing the information required to take the necessary steps… whatever they may be.

    In the interest of justice – not only for Bradley Ambrose but ultimatey for others who find themselves in a similar position – I hope Standard readers will dig into their pockets and leave a donation on this Givealittle page.

  2. North 2
    4 March 2016 at 12:07 pm

    Done. Accounting for what’s already in the kitty only another 751 people needed, contributing at the level of my “Done”.

  3. Lanthanide 3
    4 March 2016 at 12:54 pm

    Done, $100.

  4. Jilly Bee 4
    4 March 2016 at 1:16 pm

    I will too, I endeavoured to donate to keep the beach at Awaroa, but the site was overloaded at the time so my donation didn’t get through. I believe this appeal is far more important.

  5. Andre 5
    4 March 2016 at 1:36 pm

    $38,000 for court fees??!!! Am I being too cynical in thinking this is yet another ploy by the masters to stop the peons from getting too uppity?

  6. Colonial Viper 6
    4 March 2016 at 4:10 pm

    Thumbs up to Bradley Ambrose.

  7. esoteric pineapples 7
    4 March 2016 at 4:56 pm

    Old Chinese saying – $10 to get at John Key in court is worth more than writing 1000 negative comments about him on social media

  8. Wainwright 8
    4 March 2016 at 5:49 pm

    Good man. Deserves support.

  9. mary_a 9
    4 March 2016 at 6:03 pm

    I’m in to support Bradley. I wish him well.

    “The case, which is likely to see the prime minister take the stand, is set down for a two-week hearing at the Auckland High Court early next month.”

    Hmm … about the same time as the “prominent NZer’s court case begins! Two high profile cases originating from the same base early April should be very interesting!

    Elephants, Pandas anyone?

  10. instauration 10
    4 March 2016 at 11:05 pm

    Just Gavealittle $100 from me – hey all those $33 Spark credits are eligible for redirection.
    V.

  11. mosa 11
    5 March 2016 at 10:44 am

    LEFTIE WITH A GRUDGE?
    Typical response from Key to any critical reaction to his behaviour and wrongdoings.
    Except Ambrose is a National voter!
    Ambrose has guts and standing up for whats right is never easy and always costly
    I hope Key does take the stand and in time face more serious charges.

  12. lprent 12
    5 March 2016 at 2:07 pm

    Well worth supporting. I can’t think of a more effective way at present of making sure that the asymmetry between the ability of public political figures to defame and members of the public gets addressed. If unpleasant loudmouthed politicians like John Key are not able to control themselves then they need a nasty lesson in manners via the court.

    Unfortunately it is a rather expensive process. Some thing that is addressable by having small donations by a lot of people. Even a rightie like Ambrose deserves that support from the left. If they can do such a patently unfair smear against one of their own, who knows what that uncontrolled loudmouth bully would do to us if he had a chance.

  13. Just Me 13
    5 March 2016 at 3:07 pm

    Good luck Bradley. I am of the opinion that whenever a journalist in the NZ media gets on the wrong side of John Key that Key in his pure vindictiveness must ensure that journalist is out of work.
    Look what happened to Campbell Live and also those journalists who used to be in the NZ Herald.
    In fact lets just say the NZ Herald is firmly coming across as the John Key Mutual Admiration Society.

  14. One Anonymous Bloke 14
    5 March 2016 at 4:04 pm

    I wish that having a day in court was affordable to ordinary New Zealanders.

    Bradley Ambrose.

    You don’t want people to think they can push you around. I guess that’s a benefit of having a tough image.

    John Chow.

    Thank goodness for Givealittle 🙂

  15. ankerawshark 15
    5 March 2016 at 8:59 pm

    Just donated. Good luck Bradley

  16. Rodel 16
    5 March 2016 at 9:14 pm

    Not sure about donating to an 18 year self confessed Tory voter whose inexorable philosophical chickens have come home to roost.Oh well I guess I should… peer pressure and all that.

    • North 16.1
      6 March 2016 at 8:21 am

      Yeah the thought occurred to me too Rodel but donated anyway because to do so marks the essential distinction between Right and Left…….Right doesn’t give a shit until it’s personally disadvantaged.

      J K Galbraith got it right – “The modern conservative is engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.”

      http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/j/john_kenneth_galbraith.html

      • greywarshark 16.1.1
        6 March 2016 at 11:48 am

        Thanz for the quote North – sums up so much. And explains how a sizeable number of NZ feel justified in returning the brigands named National (or acynomic Natactfure.)

  17. Venezia 17
    5 March 2016 at 11:15 pm

    Done. For those of us on fixed incomes, every $10 helps.

  18. Guerilla Surgeon 18
    6 March 2016 at 2:13 pm

    Perhaps we should donate, if only because it’s fun when they eat each other.

  19. seeker 19
    6 March 2016 at 2:33 pm

    Found one of John Campbell’s excellent reports of the teapot ‘situation’ . Thought I’d post it in case it gets ‘lost’ like the footage showing the ‘Johns x2’ table being cleared of numerous bagged equipment (mikes I presume) by key’s security detail….. however they left just one behind! Incompetent or what? If any one can find this footage please post it, I think it’s very important,and I hope Bradley’s defence team have it!

    http://www.newshub.co.nz/general/was-the-teacup-tape-conversation-private-2011111514?utm_source=vodpop_newshub.co.nz&utm_medium=vodrelated&utm_campaign=vod#axzz4253GWLnn

    Am giving alittle too, but wish it was a lot.

  20. greywarshark 20
    6 March 2016 at 6:09 pm

    Just thought of a song jingle to go with Ambrose’s case and appeal.

    There’s a Blue Sky Waiting for me –

    Al Hunter is these days probably best known as voice for the hugely successful AMP Insurance jingle ‘There’s a Blue Sky Waiting For Me’ penned by Callie Blood, Ian Morris and Jim Hall (SDL Music http://www.neilhannan.com/artists.php)

    There’s a story to this song. AMP had wanted Willie Nelson singing Blue Skies for an advert. but they couldn’t get it and so the NZ song was written, and I think was better than the original wished for.

  21. greywarshark 21
    6 March 2016 at 9:39 pm

    Did moderator on TS remove the link to Al Hunter? There is a big gap where I had link
    so am putting it again – it’s a Vimeo link from 2013 so don’t see why anyone should find a reason to disappear it.

  22. Tarquin 22
    7 March 2016 at 10:08 am

    A fool and his money are easily parted. The best way to sum up this bright idea.

    • Naki man 22.1
      7 March 2016 at 12:34 pm

      “A fool and his money are easily parted. The best way to sum up this bright idea”
      True but this fool wants to spend other peoples money.

  23. greywarshark 23
    7 March 2016 at 11:06 am

    Over $6,600 now. Needs $38,000 by 16th March. A small investment from a lot of people in drawing attention to unsavoury political behaviour from our PM. We deserve better.

  24. cowboy 24
    7 March 2016 at 11:55 am

    Given the teapot tapes saga and how upset Key was at being secretly recorded, how does that equate to this….

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/298267/pm-backs-national-mp-on-staff-resignations

    in regard this….

    http://www.odt.co.nz/news/politics/375242/claim-secret-recording

    Key knows full well what his junior member for Clutha Southland has been up too and Suzie Ferguson shouldn’t have allowed him to brush it off so easily. Hypocrisy….?

  25. greywarshark 25
    7 March 2016 at 12:16 pm

    Good for you to try to keep RADIONZ on the rails. This morning I listened for a while and then this strange little story came up from the USA. Some chap over there, entirely off his own bat, spoke to RadioNZ as to how his son Daniel on the way to school bowled him over with his enquiring and far ranging little mind, as said son asked Dad, about his opinion of the NZ flag and whether he would vote on it or something.

    Now I know nuzzing other than that, except I turned off radio and few minutes later turned back on, and the item was only just finishing, dragged out to its last drop So the flag matter has been spread around the educated world, or to parts of the USA, which Suzie Fergusson thought was cute or heart-warming or other soppy comment. And the PM gets more publicity for his vanity project on our national (not National) radio.

    Song about RADIONZ news –
    Where has the real-news gone, Long time passing.
    Where has the true-news gone, Long time ago.
    Where has wide-world news gone,
    Gone to the USA,
    When will elections ever end,
    When will murders eee-ver end.