‘Dirty Politics’ symposium, streaming today

Written By: - Date published: 11:34 am, September 5th, 2014 - 16 comments
Categories: accountability, blogs, books, broadcasting, democratic participation, election 2014, internet, news, Politics, telecommunications - Tags:

The University of Otago held a symposium on Nicky Hager’s Dirty Politics book this afternoon. Nicky Hager will be participating. It began at 1pm – on til 4pm.  It has now ended but can be viewed on youtube.

There is now a short break and then the Panel will be discussing poltical aspects of Dirty Politics.

Bryce Edwards is now talking 

Professor Richard Jackson on the panel has just finished talking.

Panel discussion, now, answering questions.

Now, Professor Paul Roth and Professor Ursula Cheer. Chaired by Andrew Geddis – focus on legal angles.

Now, Nicky Hager responds.

The symposium has ended, but the video of it will remain on youtube.

ede_620x310 dirty politics

The University of Otago notice about the event:

Nicky Hager’s Dirty Politics book has not only had a big impact on the current New Zealand general election campaign, but also raises many very important questions about the way in which politics, political communication and the legal regulation of such takes place in New Zealand.

This academic symposium brings together various experts in the fields of Media, Politics, and Law to debate and discuss these questions in a scholarly setting. The event will be live-streamed, and hopefully help enable a nationwide discussion. Author Nicky Hager will be part of the debate.

You can watch via the University of Otago YouTube live-stream: http://bit.ly/HagerDebate

To take part in the Twitter discussion during the live-stream, please follow @HagerDebate and use the hashtag of #HagerDebate

I will be very interested to see what they have to say about the latest developments, the injunction proceedings this afternoon, and the impact of the book.  I am also interested in how those interested in democracy, and public service media can respond to cleanse politics and the infotainment media of the negative influence of powerful vested interests.

The youtube livestream will be here, from 1pm-4pm.

[Update:] My notes on the opening interview with Nicky Hager

Hager: interviewed by Bryce Edwards.

Hager – book is about why politics is like it is

Central idea is 2 track approach.  Influenced by the huge increase of negative politics in US – big aim is to alienate voters – switch them off – this impact learned from US.  The big risk is turning voters off the perpetrators of attack politics – hence two track approach.

Manufacturing of image –

Attack side has been invisible because it doesn’t fit narrative of John Key’s image.

How many of those opposed to Key etc have been harassed out of politics in this period – ie those who serve the public interest.

If tools are exposed and is open to discussion people get it and same strategies don’t work again.

Long term fight for more honest and transparent politics.

In NZ politics, battle line is not between left & right, but between those who participate and those who don’t.

Deeply disempowering is if public like a policy, but public debate dumps on it.

Mostly not the media.

It’s about people paying to set up think tanks, who gets chosen to be commentators.

Key issue in Hager’s book: the way blogs could be used as an unmediated domain.  Can it be re-regulated?

Panel will look at:

Media production & consumption

Journalism

Politics and way media has impacted on it

Bryce Edwards is now talking.

My notes on the final response from Hager:

Nicky Hager responds

Wants people to engage with issues raised by book, not just call him names.

Not about left or right, but about standards, accuracy, fairness

It is about ethics.

Things go on because secret, hidden and can be managed.

It’s about choices individuals make.

It’s about resources into media – going down as amount putting into PR increases instead.

Discuss, oppose, then change it.

Thinks Hollow men is more important than Dirty Politics.

Never seen such a high level of feedback than now, because people are fed up with what has happened under Key’s watch.  A lot of people are feeling dis-empowered.

16 comments on “‘Dirty Politics’ symposium, streaming today ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. disturbed 1
    5 September 2014 at 11:50 am

    May we put this proposal forward to the symposium please.
    NZ now needs a Independent Commission against Corruption, as Australia has now please. As this Australian Commission invites the public to lay charges against whom they deem as corrupt. This would solve the current problem we have with a Government making the rules to investigate the Government.
    This in coercion of justice itself is a form of corruption.

    A serious drama has been unfolding in the state of NSW concerning corruption being uncovered by NSW ICAC. ICAC (Independent Commission against Corruption) is an independent body that investigates government bodies (local and central) and employees including parliamentarians

    An ICAC is a permanent continuous “Royal Commission”

    NSW ICAC was set up in the 1980’s, claimed one scalp, the then premier (equivalent to NZ’s PM) of NSW. Then it went dormant for nearly 20 years until a geophysicist lodged an anonymous enquiry with the Australian Stock Exchange wanting an explanation as to how a listed company could acquire a government issued Licence to Explore for Coal for $1 million and the following week seek to raise additional capital valuing that same licence at $500 million.

    The repercussions of that innocent enquiry have been huge. The tentacles have spread out claiming scalp after scalp of MP’s of the current Liberal (National) government (who are in their first term in power after 20 years in opposition) have lost 10 MP’s who have either voluntarily resigned, or stood aside or been forced out. 16% of the elected right-wing MP’s gone in just 10 months

    They just couldn’t wait to get there hands into the “pots-of-gold” that comes with power

    What is interesting
    The hearings are conducted in public. For the last 2 years they have been the only game in town as MP after MP resigns. The only newspaper reporting these misdeeds is Fairfax Media (Stuff in NZ). Newscorp (Murdoch Press) the dominant media news-outlet never report on the goings of ICAC. Overt Censorship.

    What is further interesting is that none of this has been commented on in the NZ press

    Queensland has an ICAC in the form of a CMC
    Victoria has an IBAC, is in its first year, conducts hearings in private and has yet to report

    South Australia has been under pressure to set up an ICAC
    Here is a report from the SA.ICAC commissioner on its first year of operations
    public-servant-faces-likely-icac-corruption-charges

    That interview-report is a worthwhile read – compare that to NZ Auditor General Office

    Read the statement of purpose of NSW ICAC
    http://www.icac.nsw.gov.au/
    Members of the public and public officials are encouraged to report suspected corrupt conduct to the ICAC.

    New Zealand needs an ICAC

  2. Naturesong 2
    5 September 2014 at 12:14 pm

    When I first saw the heading of this post my brain read it as: “‘Dirty Politics’ symposium, steaming today”

    Had to do a double take before I realised my brain was playing tricks on me. Lol

    Any chance of putting the time in bold near the top of the post, or in the heading?
    Had to read the whole thing before I saw the time 😯

    And possibly make it the leading post … at least until 4pm when it finishes?

    • karol 2.1
      5 September 2014 at 1:03 pm

      On now. I’ll update re-that when Lynn gives me back editing function – I guess he took over to put the post at the top of the page. But he has highlighted the time on the front page.

      They are asking for audience to participate via twitter as in the post above.

      • lprent 2.1.1
        5 September 2014 at 1:48 pm

        Sorry. I left it in edit… damnit. I find it irritating myself when I want to bump people to the top.

        It is pretty good so far. I’l listening to it on the bluetooth headphones, and snaking glances at the video on the cellphone. All the time while working on large and tricky installation system. You have to love it.

        • karol 2.1.1.1
          5 September 2014 at 1:51 pm

          Thanks.

          Yes, it’s been pretty good so far. Also interesting to watch twitter comments #hagerdebate

    • weka 2.2
      5 September 2014 at 1:06 pm

      Apparently there will be a version later for viewing (hopefully downloadable given they are using youtube)

  3. karol 3
    5 September 2014 at 1:06 pm

    Bryce Edwards interviewing Hager right now.

  4. karol 4
    5 September 2014 at 1:18 pm

    Hager: interviewed by Bryce Edwards – Now finished:

    My notes of what Hager said:

    Central idea is 2 track approach. Influenced by the huge increase of negative politics in US – big aim is to alienate voters – switch them off – this impact learned from US. The big risk is turning voters off the perpetrators of attack politics – hence two track approach.

    Manufacturing of image –
    Attack side has been invisible because it doesn’t fit narrative of John Key’s image.
    How many of those opposed to Key etc have been harassed out of politics in this period – ie those who serve the public interest.

    If tools are exposed and is open to discussion people get it and same strategies don’t work again.

    Long term fight for more honest and transparent politics.

    In NZ politics, battle line is not between left & right, but between those who participate and those who don’t.

    Deeply disempowering is if public like a policy, but public debate dumps on it.
    Mostly not the media.

    It’s about people paying to set up think tanks, who gets chosen to be commentators.

    Key issue in Hager’s book: the way blogs could be used as an unmediated domain. Can it be re-regulated?

    Short break then Panel will discuss what Hager said.

  5. Fred 5
    5 September 2014 at 3:45 pm

    Is it just me or does it seem that Bryce Edwards keeps implying that Labour is as bad as National?

  6. Fred 6
    5 September 2014 at 3:52 pm

    Thanks Karol – I was getting that impression. It seems so many political reporters are. !!

  7. BLiP 7
    5 September 2014 at 4:29 pm

    ‘

    Excellent! This is the sort of analysis I have been hanging out for. Well done University of Otago and my thanks, once again, to Nicky Hager. I agree entirely with his closing comments and particularly his statement that the earlier book The Hollow Men is more important than Dirty Politics. What we are seeing revealed in Dirty Politics is the natural and inevitable result of the machinations exposed in The Hollow Men and of the New Zealand public failing to engage with the political process when the alarms bells first rang. Those alarm bells are still ringing but, this time, there appears to be far more people paying attention. Is there sufficient public groundswell for any meaningful change to be made this time or was today’s discussion a preliminary coronial examination of democracy in New Zealand?

  8. disturbed 8
    5 September 2014 at 5:11 pm

    This Hager symposium should be watch by ya’ll today Video can be seen anytime as it is on
    u tube @

    We watched the Nicky Hager debate at Otago today, There was a lot of discussion about the Dirty politics and the legality of blogs blah blah.

    According to todays legal interpretation Slater is outside the norm and can be liable for malicious intent or deformation charges could be pending on him.

    So Matt Blomfields case should go into the mix here. The whole Slater, Ede, Lusk, cactus Kate and their crew are really in the shit according to the legal professors at the symposium.

    Have a look at this as the 2 hour debate is informative. Please watch this Otago University debate from 1pm today as Nicky Hager will be there.

    Please watch this Otago University debate from 1pm today as Nicky Hager will be there. 1pm – 3pm

  9. Tracey 9
    6 September 2014 at 1:20 pm

    Not about left or right, but about standards, accuracy, fairness

    Its so simple and what the Nats have been so frightened people will focus on..

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