Much ado about nothing

Written By: - Date published: 8:51 am, December 21st, 2024 - 7 comments
Categories: health, Media, nz first, political parties, spin, treaty settlements, uncategorized, winston peters - Tags:

There has been some recent controversy about something that a District Court Judge may have said to Winston Peters in the Northern Club.

The Judge is Emma Aitken. She is highly regarded in legal circles. She is one of the mainstays of the Alcohol and Drug Court which is doing some sterling work helping addicts who run foul of the law often stage dramatic recoveries.

She was recently at the Northern Club in Auckland, heard Winston Peters say something and responded by questioning the veracity of what he said.

Judge Aitken was with her partner intensive care specialist David Galler. He has been described as a world-class physician with the mind of a superb scientist and the soul of a fine poet.

He also is held in high regard. And he was also upset by what Peters was saying.

And if there is anyone entitled to be angry at NZ First’s pro smoking policy changes it is a respected physician. The policy changes are doing major damage to the country’s health.

The language being used against them is somewhat overblown and overdramatic. “Gatecrashed” is apparently having a look into a neighbouring room. There is clearly a lot of media spin being applied to the release of this story.

The usual suspects on the right have worked themselves into an incandescent lather.

Winston Peters has threatened to sue the Judge.

Judith Collins has said that she is completely appalled by what has happened and said that it needs to be addressed.

And David Farrar, he of Dirty Politics fame, thinks the Judge should resign and has posted two posts of Kiwiblog saying why.

Farrar has also complained that Judges should be politically neutral.

Requiring them to never express a political opinion even when within the hallowed confines of the Northern Club is a bit much. After all I thought there was an unwritten rule that what happens in the Northern Club stays in the Northern Club.

Besides she may have been expressing criticism of NZ First’s performance. You do not have to have strongly held political views to conclude that NZ First’s approach to smoking is particularly bad.

And I hate to breach the secrecy surrounding the law profession but many lawyers hold very strong political views.

My first job was in a very conservative downtown lawfirm. I can recall clearly how the conveyancers and commercial lawyers were all deep blue National supporters. But amongst the court lawyers, those who took the administration of justice very seriously, were a number with progressive political views.

And as for judges I know a few who quietly seethe at what this Government is doing and what previous National Governments have done.

One of the top donors to the Labour Party is a former High Court Judge.

Others also hold strong views. I can recall as an example one Judge getting his clerk to pass me a note in a busy list court asking for contact details so that he could make a private donation to the Labour Party.

Suggesting that people at the top of their game who have invested a lifetime in pursuing justice should have no political views is absurd.

Judith Collins should reflect on her own history.

Like when she visited China as Justice Minister and took a trip to Oravida HQ, the company her husband worked for, and endorsed them publicly. Her antics relating to Oravida caused her to be dubbed the Minister of Corruption.

Or how she regularly leaked details to Cameron Slater, and in one infamous case according to Cameron Slater, was allegedly gunning for former director of the SFO Adam Feeley, although a subsequent investigation cleared her.

Or when she passed on the details of a publc servant to Slater who then posted these on his site. The public servant was then subject to death threats.

Her over the top rhetoric is overblown given her history.

The attack feels like a culture war battle against activist judges. What better way to rally the disaffected than by battling shadowy liberal forces, especially those who because of their position cannot fight back.

And you have to wonder if what Judge Aitken said was so bad.

If you really want to see a stinging Judicial rebuke of the Government then how about when the Waitangi Tribunal said about the Treaty Principles Bill that if enacted it would be “the worst, most comprehensive breach of the Treaty / te Tiriti in modern times”. Although the Government responded to that rebuke by putting Richard Prebble onto the Tribunal.

Good on Judge Aitken and David Galler for saying what they thought to Peters in a private setting. And shame on him and others for trying to convert this into another culture war battle.

7 comments on “Much ado about nothing ”

  1. Ffloyd 1
    21 December 2024 at 9:40 am

    Nice photo of the winsome Winnie. Looks a lot like an who is not getting his way with the ladeeezzz in the bush. Winsome you lose some.
    Bet he thought he had one over on Chloe when he interrupted her speech by citing a SWEAR WORD, that nobody else heard. Probably because she didn’t say it. If that was the case why was there no apology. Hmmm?đŸ€”

    Chippys speech laying out a good portion of the damage done to all of us taxpayers who support this country was exceptional. A litany of truth all listed. One by one. In a manner that every ‘bottom feeder’ Will be able to read an fully absorb at leisure.

    Chloe as per usual was a verbal powerhouse. See the hairless one lounging around in his seat nonchalantly pretending to blank her. Dim wit!

    She certainly takes you on a journey with mastery of public speaking wrapped around her command and understanding of everything she is speaking of. Luxons effort didn’t even reach Year9 (Third form to me) standard.

    Reply
  2. tc 2
    21 December 2024 at 9:42 am

    Here here yes good on them for voicing their views and to the former minister for Oravida for giving it further oxygen.

    I see this as an own goal in the culture wars as sweeping it under the carpet isnt possible now.

    Be great to hear what was soooo offensive to the Tobacco First party….free speech and all that.

    Reply
  3. Ffloyd 3
    21 December 2024 at 9:43 am

    Whoops. Previous comment should have been in relation to Tuis fine post.ESS.

    Reply
  4. Adrian 4
    21 December 2024 at 9:47 am

    The irony should not be lost of the fact that those who are most vilifying of Dave Galler would appear to be very high on the list of desperatly needing his services at any given moment.

    Reply
  5. SPC 5
    21 December 2024 at 10:05 am

    It is patently obvious they are intent on removing people who criticise them from their tax paid jobs.

    This is part of a desperate and incompetent government's effort to suppress dissent.

    The rest is a Northern Club matter.

    If Peters thinks he can sue someone, for they say to his face in a private club, he needs to go back to law school.

    The club should bar him for this egregious affront to privacy, if he goes to court.

    As for the judge and professional standards.

    Is being drunk in a private club uncommon?

    Is making criticism of a politician in a private venue uncommon?

    Is the criticism only a problem, if it is to a politician in person, and thus they know about it.

    The standard has been for judges and politicians to be circumspect in the public commons.

    Reply
    • tc 5.1
      21 December 2024 at 10:44 am

      The northern club isnt the public commons.

      A reasonable expectation would be the comments stay within the room and as per club rules no photos.

      Fast tracked outrage from the precious flowers.

      Reply
  6. Muttonbird 6
    21 December 2024 at 11:33 am

    Lobbying by the rabid right for neutrality in any individual and organisation receiving public funds is a key plank in Atlas/libertarian thought. Margaret Thatcher claimed there was no such thing as society, and therefore no such as the public, which is why they seek to remove the 'public' from public service, public broadcasting, and public advocacy.

    We're seeing it here in this case, and in threatening primary schools from marching on the Hikoi and threatening police officers from helping paint signs in their own communities, removing NZ colonial history from the curriculum, forbidding universities from any public or societal advocacy, removing social sciences from the Marsden Fund, Criticising TNVZ and RNZ political journalists for any political analysis while allowing it from private media, throwing their toys when sports people defend their communities, the prevention of local councils to set speed limits, defunding of public transport…

    The list goes on and on and on, and the overall theme is that only private individuals and organisations shall have influence over political decisions and society. All publicly funded entities must remain mute, including those who report on law makers.

    Reply

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