Key should apologise to Tania Billingsley and Slater should be ashamed

Written By: - Date published: 9:24 am, December 6th, 2015 - 72 comments
Categories: john key, national, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: , , ,

Tania Billingsley

Details about the behaviour of the Malaysian Diplomat who fled the country earlier this year after being charged with attempted sexual violation and after invoking diplomatic immunity are now being revealed in Court.  And they are somewhat bizarre to put it mildly.

The Herald in this article reported on evidence adduced during the recent disputed facts hearing.  Mr Rizalman had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of indecent assault and charges of attempted sexual violation and burglary were discharged.

During the disputed facts hearing it emerged:

  • Mr Rizalman had a week before the incident purchased high strength synthetic cannabis and he admitted to smoking cannabis at the time.
  • He could not remember asking two young women who worked in the shop selling synthetic cannabis out for a drink or trying to touch one of their shoulders or being escorted out of the shop.
  • He previously denied smoking cannabis to the Malaysian authorities after he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment.
  • He believed in black magic and had thought that a superior officer had put a spell on him.
  • The day before the incident another young woman had complained that he had been tailing her and had tried to persuade her to get into his car.
  • He initially claimed to the police that he had watched a movie with Ms Billingsley and had shared a meal with her but admitted in Court that this not correct and that he was “confused”.
  • He admitted deffacating outside Ms Billingsley’s flat but denied that it was an attempt to cast a black magic spell on her to make her fall in love wih him.
  • He initially told the police that he had been invited to Ms Billingsley’s home but admitted under cross examination that her mannerisms and her smiling at him were what had made him think that he had been invited to her home.

The case is to conclude next week.  Clearly though Mr Rizalman’s attraction to Ms Billingsley was never reciprocated and her complaint was completely justified.

There are some significant political issues at play.  John Key’s and the Government’s refusal to apologise to Tania Billingsley and the way that the Government has handled the diplomatic immunity aspect of the case both reflect poorly on the Government.

As to the apology this is what a previous Radio New Zealand report said:

But on Monday, Mr Key refused to apologise to Ms Billingsley, who by then had made her name public, because he said he only made apologies if there was a serious reason for him to do so.

On Tuesday, he had another reason for not saying sorry. “Because I think the Government has apologised. Both the minister and the officials have made it quite clear they’re sorry for the incident that’s taken place in the way that person left the country. I think that’s wholly appropriate.

“But in the end, I think what’s far more important is that there is a proper inquiry – that’s what the victim in this circumstance deserves and that’s what she’s going to get.

“What’s far more important now, actually, is that the independent inquiry that’s been established and will be run by (former Treasury Secretary) John Whitehead actually gets to the bottom of all of the unanswered questions there.”

Publication of the report has been delayed because of the trial.  Given that the matter is now being considered by a Judge and not a jury and given that the report is now 12 months old it is difficult to understand why there is any further delay in releasing it.

And as this editorial from today’s Herald notes Murray McCully’s role will be put under the spotlight as soon as the report is released.  A public servant has taken the blame for the botched application of diplomatic immunity.  But you have to wonder why McCully was not alerted to the issue from the start.  After all an allegation that a Malaysian Diplomat had been charged with attempted sexual violation should have had alarm bells ringing very loudly.

The editorial notes:

A single email is at the heart of the report into the Malaysian diplomat botch-up, according to McCully.

McCully faced calls to resign over the case but refused and had the Prime Minister’s backing.

Exactly what that email is and what its contents are has not been made public.

However, an email sent to McCully’s office on May 22 last year – the day Rizalman flew back to Malaysia – remained unopened for several weeks.

The best possible spin that could be put on this is that McCully’s office is utterly incompetent.

And Cameron Slater?  His treatment of Ms Billingsley has been disgusting.  There are 26 posts where her name has been tagged.  Post after post attempted to denigrate and malign her and tried to show that her complaint was part of some sort of political conspiracy.   The stuff he wrote about her was horrendous.  Now that the truth is coming out he looks like a pillock.

It is interesting that he started his crusade at the time, pre dirty politics, where his powers of intimidation were at their peak.

In one post he said:

The truth will be much closer to an existing relationship that was strained and where Muhammad Rizalman bin Ismail misunderstood his place within it.

Boy was he wrong.

I suspect the Government will be planning a pre christmas release of the review of the invocation of diplomatic immunity.  And hoping that no one notices.

 

72 comments on “Key should apologise to Tania Billingsley and Slater should be ashamed ”

  1. Maria Sherwood 1

    Slater has continued with his ‘view’s’ that they had an on-going relationship, in a post 2 days ago.

    • mickysavage 1.1

      I wonder what information he is relying on? Maybe the diplomat’s statement to the police?

      • Wainwright 1.1.1

        He doesn’t need information. The point is to get his army of trolls to smear her in every comments section from Stuff to 3News. And they don’t need proof.

        • Tautuhi 1.1.1.1

          When you read the book Dirty Politics you will understand Slater’s modus operandi, his rational is once it is in MSM and is being discussed the damage has been done, doesn’t matter whether the facts are right or wrong. That is why the Nats have used him in their smear campaigns on opponents or organisations they disagree with.

        • Lara 1.1.1.2

          And this kind of behaviour is why women in NZ do not make complaints of rape or sexual violation in so many cases. Because we know those around us will behave pretty much like Slater is behaving. Because we know we shall be assumed to be lying as a default and we will be held up to intense scrutiny, while the perpetrator is not.

    • Draco T Bastard 1.2

      Wouldn’t that come under the new anti-bullying (digital law) that the government passed?

  2. Gangnam Style 2

    Interesting revisiting this, can easily see the Whaleoil stooges http://thestandard.org.nz/just-say-sorry-john/

  3. Anne 3

    Post after post attempted to denigrate and malign her and tried to show that her complaint was part of some sort of political conspiracy.

    So, did he get paid to write them – and if so, by whom and how much?

  4. Sanctuary 4

    We should stop worrying about Slater so much. He is a mad, bad paranoid guy with a sad, sad website that visiting is mainly an exercise in illuminating and dabbling in the hive mind of a particular type of mental illness.

    Like many delusional fantasists he can be very convincing to the gullible and credulous, which lent him a moment in the sun. But he was of course found out, and from that moment his cynical manipulators in the Beehive dropped him like a red-stone stone.

    Key, however has no defense of madness, unless a vast truculent meglomania is a form of mental disorder. He needs to apologise, and McCully needs to resign.

    • RedBaronCV 4.1

      The complainant is a private citizen who has undergone a particularly nasty experience. To post a string of comments so widely at variance to the facts in court which remain on the internet for ever is not good. We may know the mode of operation of the site but a casual looker doesn’t. Like Anne says, was something driving this?

      • weka 4.1.1

        I agree. If Slater was writing as part of his DP job, that’s of concern to the public.

        And even if now he is merely a disgaced loser, he still has influence. That needs to be challenged every time he abuses his power. Doesn’t have to be a big deal in terms of attention, but if he’s being a rape apologist he should be named as such.

        • RedLogix 4.1.1.1

          Agreed … as much as every fibre of my instinct wants nothing to do with Slater, collectively we do not have the luxury of ignoring him.

          He has already caused a lot of damage, and will continue to do so until he and his vile band of trolls are so discredited and shamed that they have no power to cause harm anymore.

          Fortunately some of us like Lynn are less squeamish than I am, and I’m very glad he done the job for us. And that he’s done it on behalf of one of this site’s most trenchant critics is even more worthy of note.

          • RedBaronCV 4.1.1.1.1

            I have wondered since these are criminal proceedings where the court could be asked for some redress against some of the more slanderous memes out there. Not quite sure how that woud be done though without infringing other commentary??

          • Anne 4.1.1.1.2

            And that he’s done it on behalf of one of this site’s most trenchant critics is even more worthy of note.

            Indeed it is. Congrats to Lynn Prentice.

            I’ve referred here before to my experiences at the hands of someone whose M.O. was very similar to Slater’s. The only differences: the person was a “she” and the times were pre-blogosphere, so her communications were conducted through more conventional channels.

            The damage that woman caused over a very long period was immeasurable and included among her ‘victims’ were some well known former political personalities. She succeeded for so long because nobody would take the the matter seriously. I approached the police over incidents relating to me on five occasions and also to other authoritative bodies at different times. I was largely ignored.

            Slater and his band of trolls will continue causing mayhem until their machinations are taken seriously and they are finally exposed for everyone to see. Nothing less will stop them.

    • North 4.2

      Perfectly said Sanctuary !

      • weston 4.2.1

        not quite perfect north jason ede might have slipped away after the event but key was still in contact with slater well down the track from then in fact questions were asked in parliment about txts key made to slater forcing him to reach for another of his “hats ” remember ? I havnt seen any evidence that would convince me slater is no longer a merchant for hire

    • gnomic 4.3

      ‘Key, however has no defense of madness, unless a vast truculent megalomania is a form of mental disorder. He needs to apologise, and McCully needs to resign.”

      Think I am admiring your work. ‘Vast truculent megalomania’. Not sure this is in the textbooks but it sounds good. I suspect though that the smirking/scowling weasel is a bit batshit. Just my intuition. Or perhaps just a deep innner vacuity?

      Key apologise? Why not harakiri in recompense for his manifold mistakes and amorality? Or just resign and move to Hawaii, forget the knighthood? After all encouraging suicide is non-PC.

      Who is this Muzza McCully of whom you speak? Well past the use by surely?

  5. Penny Bright 5

    “A single email is at the heart of the report into the Malaysian diplomat botch-up, according to McCully.

    McCully faced calls to resign over the case but refused and had the Prime Minister’s backing.

    Exactly what that email is and what its contents are has not been made public.”

    Where’s the ‘transparency’ ?

    “Nothing to hide – nothing to fear” – sort of thing?

    Publish this email and release the Whitehead report.

    Penny Bright

    • pipalbany 5.1

      [RL: Deleted. Off topic.]

      • Neil 5.1.1

        Penny’s not paying rates has nothing to do with what this article is about. Your comment is an epic fail.

    • Chooky 5.2

      +100 Penny…yes what are they hiding?

    • Hey Penny,

      I can’t talk too much on this (as my father is the one who’s doing the report and I don’t want to compromise anything he’s told me in confidence) but it sounds like what you’re quoting doesn’t have any glaring errors. If I recall correctly, the report is complete but is under embargo due to its relation to the court proceedings.

      It’s out of his hands when it’s released as the embargo needs to be cleared by the govt first.

    • GregJ 6.1

      Yeah thanks – Key will never apologise for anything. I don’t think he thinks he makes any mistakes. I’m beginning to think he genuinely believes his own shit smells sweet.

        • Pat 6.1.1.1

          “Despite this, Key has been forced to say sorry to Slater and Key’s office has confirmed: “The Prime Minister recently wrote to Mr Slater to apologise.”

          But he stood by his actions. “The Prime Minister believes, however, it was in the public interest to release the email in question publicly,” a spokeswoman said.”

          • emergency mike 6.1.1.1.1

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial_personality_disorder

            Is closer imo. Though there are overlapping features.

            • Pat 6.1.1.1.1.1

              hmmmm…id still plump for the former though is there any reason he couldn’t be both?Perhaps a professional opinion….feel sure there will be someone suitably qualified on here…though likely unwilling to diagnose without direct examination.

              • emergency mike

                Yes they can be both, but the truly narcissistic type tends to have an openly vain, brash, self-aggrandizing, bullying, boastful demeanour, (I’m looking at you Donald Trump), that I don’t quite see in Key, not openly anyway. He’s gone for the ‘relaxed, modest kiwi bloke’ persona, and it has served him well.

                As I said there’s plenty of overlap, both can be arrogant, manipulative, lack empathy, deceitful, and say and do strikingly inappropriate things. But the narcissist doesn’t much feel the need to hide their arrogant arsehole personality, because they are just so massively awesome that everyone should bow down and admire them or else they are unworthy idiots.

                But the antisocial, having a bit more intelligence and/or self-awareness, sees that it is counterproductive to their goals to show their true personality to the world. They find a more socially acceptable front for public display. Thus making them more effective manipulators, a skill they are unusually good at. The narcissist seeks, and expects, to be adored and admired, the antisocial seeks, and enjoys, power and manipulation of others. Which can look quite similar.

                Also note, that narcissists are often useful idiots for an antisocial. Since, despite themselves being manipulative pricks, they are themselves easily manipulated. They just need to hear that the antisocial has the power to give them want they want: to be worshiped for their obvious awesomeness. Then they will do as they are told until they are no longer required, poor Cameron. Easy pickings.

                Key doesn’t want to apologize to Tania Billingsly not because he is, like a narcissist, never wrong, but because he thinks it won’t look good to his core supporters to back down. If he thought that it would be good for him to do so, he’d pull out a lovely apology with shiny bells on and Mike Hosking and the Herald would rave on about what a great guy he is for doing so. To an antisocial words are just things you say that make people do what you want. Truth, lies, threats, bullying, insults, sincerity, grovelling, whatever works. They don’t have any shame.

                Just an armchair opinion of course.

                • Pat

                  just an armchair opinion of course…..not a couch?

                  You make a persuasive case but I have trouble seeing Key fulfilling numbers A)1, 3,4 and 6.

                  • emergency mike

                    Note that in A) only three of the seven listed traits are required. Plus I think Key can be impulsive, e.g. repeatedly pulling a waitresses hair. However I’ve got no particular evidence for C).

                    I also feel the DSM-IV definition, (and the DSM-V didn’t change much here), is significantly out of date. A lot of research has been done since then to indicate that the definition is too narrow, again imo.

                    Of course it’s not possible to make a real diagnosis from one’s armchair. You really do need the couch. All we know about Key is what he allows the media to see. That’s only enough for speculation.

                    How about ‘asshole’? Let’s shake hands and agree on that.

                    • Pat

                      no denying the impulsiveness…had been focusing on the “failure to plan ahead”……arsehole it is

                    • emergency mike

                      “impulsivity or failure to plan ahead”

                      Or.

                    • Pat

                      lol…yes saw the “or”….curious feature, the two though related are not mutually exclusive I would have thought, …..and the impulsivity may be aberrant, which therefore may be all the more revealing…..who knows.

                    • Pat

                      Keys apology today would appear to support your pick of disorder over mine.

                • Anne

                  Just an armchair opinion of course.

                  A highly informed “armchair opinion”. Thank-you for that Emergency Mike. I have a vague recollection you alluded to your professional knowledge of this subject once before.

                  I used to know someone who falls into the ASPD category. They are indeed intelligent and know how to manipulate individuals without the ‘individuals’ even knowing they are being manipulated. It worked a treat on me until one day the truth dawned… and from that eureka moment I saw through everything that person did or said but person never knew it. Boot changed foot. 🙂

                  I think you are right about Key having at least some of the ASPD traits, but it takes the development of a certain type of mindset before it becomes possible for people to be able to see it. There are many who will never see it of course – Mike Hosking for example?

                  • emergency mike

                    Ah Mike Hosking, now there’s a useful narcissistic idiot.

                    Not professional, but I have a degree in psychology and recently spent more than a year reading everything on psychopathy.

                    Good story Anne, that’s the thing about antisocials & psychopaths, they are brilliant manipulators, right up until you see them for what they are. Then the curtain falls, and their power is gone. Hopefully by then they haven’t destroyed your life, or your country.

                    • RedLogix

                      Thanks EM. I found that interesting as well.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke

                      Surely before postulating a whole bunch of alleged psychological conditions, Psychology has to address its massive credibility problems.

                      Otherwise how do you tell wheat from chaff?

                    • Anne

                      Hi emergency mike.
                      Just seen your response. The “person” in my comment was a member of the Labour Party between 1975 and 1990. That person – together with an accomplice – came close to destroying the reputations of several politicians and other individuals. The covert nature of their [criminal] activity meant they were not identified at the time and so were never brought to justice.

  6. Penny Bright 7

    A rather spectacular 180 degree ‘U turn’ by Cameron Slater on the (former) Malaysian diplomat / Tania Billingsley matter?

    HOW THE HELL DOES SOMEONE LIKE THAT MAKE IT INTO A DIPLOMATIC POST?
    by Cameron Slater on December 5, 2015 at 4:00pm
    ……..

    If this is synthetic cannabis related, then Peter Dunne has got another trophy for his wall. What an omnishambles that turned into. But it seems to me the guy was seriously unstable anyway, a creep, and a pest to women in general.

    He should be locked away, and when his sentence finishes, deported the same day.

    __________________________________________________
    MUHAMMAD RIZALMAN BIN ISMAIL’S ACTUAL ACTIONS TO BE REVEALED IN COURT

    by Cameron Slater on December 4, 2015 at 1:00pm

    The man that was tried and convicted by Jan Logie and Mediaworks plead guilty to a lesser charge on Monday, but the court is still in the dark as to what happened.

    …..
    Here’s something that we have never seen written in public before:

    Charges of intent to commit sexual violation and burglary against Rizalman were dropped after the prosecution offered no evidence.

    Keep in mind that all the other interested blogs and media were pitching it as a failed rape for months. But now the prosecution isn’t able to even back it up for an intent to commit sexual violation to stand up. Worse, emotive “grabbing by the throat” is disputed with “grabbed by shoulders/arms”.

    This is the very information I’ve been insisting we would need to wait for before making any kind of decision about this case.

    I still believe the two knew each other. This wasn’t a random attack. He may have been at her place many times before. He may in fact have had a relationship of sorts with her before. He may in fact have been in the process of playing a silly prank which would have worked out just fine had the relationship been up to it. Instead, it caused a spectacular backfire. ….
    ______________________________________________________

    When is Cameron Slater going to apologise to Tania Billingsley?

    Penny Bright

  7. savenz 8

    Shocking.

    John Key’s and McCully’s misogyny is becoming more and more apparent.

    They should be run out of parliament!

    Typical they support a drug addled attempted rapist Malaysian diplomat instead of a citizen of NZ!

  8. Ffloyd 9

    Where IS Mccully??

  9. reason 10

    BM, John, Puckish Rogue and Slylands ………………. are the physical real life examples of NZ rape culture.

    John Key promoted Mike Sabin …………………….

    Women visitors to our country may be liable to be sexually assaulted by our customs officials if the are here to visit the ‘wrong’ people ( KDC ) …………….

    Roastbusters face no search warrants, no seized computers/cell phones and no charges …………

    Key should be resigning as his apology …………………….

    But he’s quite comfortable and will just project his own values onto others ..” you support the rapists and the murderers” ………………

  10. Chooky 11

    This is related to the Post as a background in context…on the misogyny of the Right wing in USA…but I would think it would also apply to the new far Right in New Zealand which has links to the far right in USA…in other words New Zealand women’s rights are under threat by the right wing

    https://www.rt.com/shows/big-picture/324219-bernie-obama-presidential-elections/

    amongst other things… “…Thom discusses how the Republican Party promotes misogyny in America…

  11. Penny Bright 12

    te reo putake – don’t you agree that Cameron Slater should apologise to Tania Billinsley?

    Yes – I often post similar material on more than one place.

    Any law against that?

    Why are you ‘thread-jacking’ (again)?

    I am ‘on topic’ – why aren’t you?

    Penny Bright

    2016 Auckland Mayoral candidate.

  12. Hi Vis. 13

    The ” key ” issue here is the PM’s position on his treatment of women.
    Smart and successful as he thinks he is, his consistent behaviour of disrespect may yet be his and his party’s downfall.
    Pull the other pigtail , pull Nonu’s locks
    Mr Prime Minister when you are jock sniffing at the RWC and apologise to the lady , “home invaded” by that Defense Attache.

  13. Leftie 14

    Forked tongued John key said he would apologise if he knew the victim’s name, but when she came forward and made her name public, Key refused to apologise, saying “he only made apologies if there was a serious reason for him to do so” which contradicted his earlier statement of “Yes, in so much that I believe that she shouldn’t have had to go through what she went through.”

    PM accused of breaking word

    I reckon John key had a more insidious and cynical reason for his lie of an apology, that led to Tania Billingsley making her name public, as Cam Slater proved in his smear, character assassination campaign against her.

    [Fixed link – MS]

    • anon 14.1

      As soon as the victim came out in public, she made herself a target for slater, purely because the department had goofed. You can almost be guaranteed if a negative story comes out about this government, the loyal lap-dog slater will come to the rescue and spin the s*** out of the story. Can’t be having any damaging news about our beloved national government after all!

      PS: close your tags (should be words )

      • Leftie 14.1.1

        Exactly. key said he would apologise to her if he knew her name, when he had no intention of doing that.
        John Key set Tania Billingsley up. She made her name public because she thought key would apologise. John key purposely made Tania Billingsley a target for Slater & co to publicly smear her.

  14. Leftie 15

    Liars John key and Cameron Slater should get some guts and man up and apologise, PUBLICLY. It’s not as if John key doesn’t know the word and it’s meaning, after all, he has apologised to Cam Slater and Dotcom.

  15. “And Slater should be ashamed”

    Slater has no shame. Anyone who has followed the antics of this guy should know this. How many of you read Hager’s book Dirty Politics? If you did you will know the extent to which Slater will go to in attacking someone.

    If you are expecting him to show remorse, you might win Lotto before then.

    • Tautuhi 16.1

      Slater get a buzz out of upsetting people, if you read Hager’s book you will understand how the guy’s mind works.

  16. North 17

    The name ‘Slater’ certainly goes round in circles back to whence it came.

  17. Muttonbird 18

    I’m stunned Slater would back a Muslim guilty of indecent assault over his young NZ victim.

    Shows where his priorities lie.

    • Lara 18.1

      She’s a woman. Lowest of the low in the mind of Slater. And many others too in NZ I believe.

      And a woman making a claim of sexual assault or rape? Should be hanged pretty much in their minds. That’s what it looks like anyway.

      This kind of nasty attitude with an assumption that the woman is lying as a default, is actually pretty common in NZ. Maybe not with the extra layer of nastiness that Slater has, but the general attitude that women lie about this kind of thing is prevalent.

  18. Muttonbird 19

    Key’s refusal to make good on his governments screw-up of this case by backtracking on an apology is interesting when viewed alongside his statement in parliament that it’s Labour who are siding with rapists.

  19. acrophobic 20

    Something in the Herald article about this caught my attention, and that was the way Risalman spoke of how Billingsley had a look in her eyes that he interpreted as ‘come with me’. This man seems to me to be deeply disturbed on so many levels.

    Also this shows up once again the ineptitude of Murray McCully. He and Sam are seriously out of their depth.

  20. rob 21

    I guess Cameron and Spanish bride and Pete say what every they want in their own echo chamber, but the quality has been way down ever since the dirty politics.

    Most of his posting consist of cutting and pasting some thing from the Herald or Stuff and then adding a few comments around this. Not really original content or thought anymore, but the ramblings of a man lost.

    The saddest thing is he is raising kids with his wife, and their moral code will come off their toxic parents…

  21. Tanz 22

    good luck at that – Key never apologies for anything, he that can do no wrong!!

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