Russell Brown on rubbish HoS article

Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, December 7th, 2014 - 88 comments
Categories: journalism, making shit up, newspapers - Tags: , ,

Russell Brown at Hard News has already said what needed saying about today’s Herald on Sunday’s lead story:

Some reprehensible bullshit

EXCLUSIVE, trumpets the Herald on Sunday’s front page lead story today, HIDDEN ROOMS IN MAYOR’S NEW OFFICE. ‘What secrets are concealed in Len Brown’s flash new office?’ the headline inside demands. A better question might have been: is anybody really proud of this nonsense?  …

The “secret rooms” are not actually a “secret” in any meaningful sense of the word: their presence, design and, fittings and budget are literally a matter of public record. They are a dressing room with a two-seater sofa, an ironing board and a wardrobe, and a small ensuite bathroom. But, in what would seem to be a bid to blend the office’s ceremonial and practical functions, the door between the formal office and its ensuite has been designed as part of a bookcase. That’s it. That really is the sum total of the scandal. …

The rest of the story is padded out with inane quotes from failed mayoral candidate and leader of the deranged “Stand Down Len Brown” protests Stephen Berry, and four of the five council dead-enders who got crushed by their peers in a vote over Brown’s censure motion last year …

The editor, the reporter and the rentaquote councillors all know the story is bullshit. For the latter, it’s another chance to have a crack at Brown and for the paper it’s just more cheap clickbait. If Bevan Chuang gets used yet again – and Photoshopping her into a picture really is quite the sleazy touch – that’s just what happens to women who have sex, right?

Is this what you people got into journalism for?

Plenty more in the full post, go check it out at Hard News.

88 comments on “Russell Brown on rubbish HoS article ”

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  1. Chooky 1
    7 December 2014 at 10:15 am

    yes agree it is an attempt to smear and undermine Len Brown yet again…

    but as an aside …..quite frankly i dont think Bevan Chuang was “used”…..more like Len Brown, the old fool, was “used”

    …lets face it , it wasn’t Len Brown who revealed the affair… and he called it off…. and Chuang did not have an unblemished reputation for honesty

    …this is sexism in itself ie women who have extra-martial sex are automatically “used” …Old Testament stuff…we have moved on from this in secular and feminist society

    • tinfoilhat 1.1
      7 December 2014 at 10:20 am

      Len Brown is a mayor so appalling that he makes John Banks like a good alternative by comparison.

    • Stephanie Rodgers 1.2
      7 December 2014 at 10:40 am

      So, totally radical idea, let’s focus on the actual subject of the post and not on re-hashing really tired old “lying harlot” attacks on a woman who isn’t even involved (except that the HoS wants to pretend she is).

      • Chooky 1.2.1
        7 December 2014 at 10:44 am

        ?..it was Slater that did the “using”…not Brown…and looks like the right wing are still trying to undermine Brown

        “If Bevan Chuang gets used yet again…” is a red herring and a misleading phrase…it is Brown the right wing are out to get

        • Stephanie Rodgers 1.2.1.1
          7 December 2014 at 8:21 pm

          And yet *you* chose to describe Bevan Chuang as dishonest, and actually tried to cite feminism as proof that she isn’t a victim in this case (by arguing that it’s sexist to say women in extra-marital affairs are being used.)

          You want to attack Slater, attack Slater, but just stop pretending you weren’t having a go at Chuang.

          • The Al1en 1.2.1.1.1
            7 December 2014 at 8:35 pm

            She was a bit of a skank and him a sad old man who let his little brain do his thinking.
            Apart from affecting your sensibilities, what’s wrong with reporting that? It’s the truth after all.

            • CATMAN 1.2.1.1.1.1
              7 December 2014 at 9:22 pm

              Define “skank”?

            • Tom Jackson 1.2.1.1.1.2
              8 December 2014 at 12:59 am

              I don’t think that’s true. From her TV appearance she seems to be what they call “high maintenance”, which would make her a natural target for a desperado like old Len.

              Having an affair with the mayor was a pretty thoughtless thing to do given the potential consequences, but she didn’t deserve to be used and shamed by the Slaters and Palino.

          • Psycho Milt 1.2.1.1.2
            7 December 2014 at 9:04 pm

            So what if he was? “Commenter has opinion about behaviour of someone in the news” isn’t exactly unheard of in blog comments threads.

    • greywarshark 1.3
      7 December 2014 at 12:29 pm

      @ Chooky
      Good point. Let’s look at these things in the round, get the wider picture.

  2. Graeme Stanley 2
    7 December 2014 at 10:21 am

    The Dirty Politics Brigade that smeared a foolish Len Brown round Election Time trying to bring him down have never been brought to justice or scrutinised Pot Calling Kettle Black Syndrome alive and fermenting eh?

    • Chooky 2.1
      8 December 2014 at 1:51 pm

      +100 Graeme Stanley …and they are still trying to bring Len Brown down with the Tax Payers’ Union taking the lead in another example of ‘Dirty politics’

      …as Bomber Bradbury says …”I’m no Len Brown fan, I don’t believe he should run again, he’s a damaged political brand after the character assassination Slater and his meth charged ‘Journalist’ put him through, but to try and spin an ensuite that Len had no input into as some sort of devious sex den for the Mayor to privately get his jollies off in is just vile and completely false. Let me spell it out – LEN HAD NO ROLE IN BUILDING IT!

      Bradbury puts the present scheming and dirty politicking succinctly:

      http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/12/08/taxpayer-union-the-nz-herald-and-len-browns-secret-hidden-love-den/.

  3. Clean_power 3
    7 December 2014 at 10:44 am

    The hapless Mr Brown has lost all his dignity for the sake of keeping his mayor’s salary, otherwise he should have resigned long ago. A man with little or no sense of shame.

    • Psycho Milt 3.1
      7 December 2014 at 10:51 am

      A man with little or no sense of shame.

      Someone with a sense of shame is hardly going to get very far in politics, are they?

    • tc 3.2
      7 December 2014 at 10:59 am

      Yes no change from the bloke he replaced, banksy.

      Len is simply marking time but then so are plenty of well paid supercity folk who have ceremonial roles with no real power throwing mud….brewer, fletcher etc.

      Perhaps HoS could do ratepayers a real service and investigate the systems shambles hide, ford and foley created, it’s racking up thousands/day and is rudderless with no end in sight. What we call ‘works as designed’.

      • Chooky 3.2.1
        7 December 2014 at 11:07 am

        Auckland ‘Superscity’ fiasco…( and it would be far worse under John Banks! )….a failed model they are trying to force on Wellington and regions….against the NZ locals’ will

        • ghostwhowalksnz 3.2.1.1
          7 December 2014 at 1:31 pm

          You can see the hidden hand of Rodney Hide in the “super cities” push

          The local government commission , with 2 /3 appointed by Rodney Hide in 2011
          designed the over the top super city for Wellington ( notice another unelected Maori Board)

          Just as the Auckland super city was Hides work.

          • Penny Bright 3.2.1.1.1
            7 December 2014 at 9:51 pm

            This now popular mythology that the Auckland Supercity was all Rodney Hide’s ‘work’ is simply bullshit.

            It was LABOUR who appointed the Commissioners for the Royal Commission on Auckland Regional Governance – whose most important recommendation was the CCO model for the delivery of Auckland services.

            It was the John Key led National/ACT Government that railroaded through the legislation which forced this Auckland ‘Supercity for the 1%’ upon citizens and ratepayers of the Auckland region, and denied us our lawful right to a binding vote on this amalgamation.

            It has been the CCO model that has been the mechanism for this, in my considered opinion, corrupt corporate coup, which has enabled BIG business and property developers to run the Auckland region ‘like a business, by business, FOR business’.

            There was NO political party which opposed the Auckland Supercity at the beginning – just a tiny handful of us – who campaigned from Day One – against this bigger public trough for fewer but bigger private snouts.

            Now- FINALLY – people are getting it, while anti-corruption ‘whistle-blowers’ like myself have faced the most draconian abuse of municipal power and authority, in order to try and shut us up and shut us down.

            Unfortunately – (For Auckland Council ‘Supercity for the 1%’) it appears to have had the opposite effect…..

            Penny Bright

        • swordfish 3.2.1.2
          7 December 2014 at 1:43 pm

          Yeah, the two local body politicians who’ve long been pushing for this in Wellington are Former Labour MP and Mayor – turned far Right, Neo-Liberal, ACToid – (Wellington Regional Council Chairwoman) Fran Wilde, and her close chum and political confidante, our very own highly ambitious Porirua Mayor, Nick Leggett (in recent years, on the periphery of the extra-Parliamentary wing of Labour’s Right faction).

          I think it’s fair to assume both have designs on becoming the first Wellington Supercity Mayor (or possibly running on a Mayor/Deputy Mayor ticket). You can be pretty sure they’ve been carefully planning their career trajectories in that direction for a few years now.

          Leggett also seems to have – somewhat delusional – ambitions that he will become President of the Labour Party at some point. He suggested, after September’s General Election, that people in the Party were clamouring for him to put his name forward.

          The uber-ambitious always amuse me greatly.

          • Wayne 3.2.1.2.1
            7 December 2014 at 4:56 pm

            Fran Wilde an ACToid – seriously?

            Just because she is no longer on the left side of Labour hardly makes her an ACToid.

            Unless you believe all moderate Labourites and all Nats are ACToids.

            • swordfish 3.2.1.2.1.1
              7 December 2014 at 8:30 pm

              Wilde had her Road-to-Damascus conversion to Neo-Liberal Orthodoxy a decade later than most of Labour’s core Rogernomes.

              Back in the mid/late 80s, she was on the periphery of the small group in caucus openly hostile to Rogernomics (others included fellow greater Wellington MPs Sonja Davis, Graham Kelly and Elizabeth Tennet – among others, with Jim Anderton involved early on, but increasingly moving towards forming his own Party).

              Early 90s, she becomes Mayor of Wellington and begins moving in clear Rightward direction, particularly after meeting current husband, businessman and CEO of Landcorp, Christopher Kelly.

              By the early zeros, she was participating in a stormy TV current affairs debate (Wilde – by then CEO of Trade New Zealand – and Employers Federation Head on one side / Laila Harre and Union head (possibly Maxine Gay) on the other). Wilde came across in that debate as very Right-leaning, to the extent that she’d make you, Wayne, look like an anaemic Centrist.

              Apart from presiding over some astonishing budget blowouts (for which she would have been crucified by the Dominion Post and other local MSM if she’d been Left-leaning), Wilde’s long stretch as Wellington Regional Council Chairwoman has been characterised by her constant endorsement of policies favoured by ACT. Whatever the issue, you can be sure she’ll side with the establishment Right.

    • greywarshark 3.3
      7 December 2014 at 12:43 pm

      @ Clean power – ” A man with little or no sense of shame.”
      You fit this description. You never have anything to offer except casting petty and nasty comments, like this one. Your opinions are skewed by a sour disposition apparently. Here’s some of your own back.

    • Tracey 3.4
      7 December 2014 at 7:27 pm

      Yeah yeah…

      But Key rocks and Banks is full of… Integrity

      🙄

  4. hoom 4
    7 December 2014 at 11:16 am

    On the face of it I do agree it looks bad.

    Meat of the thing though as so often is at the very bottom of the article:

    council spokesman Mark Hanson said the mayor’s office had no input into the design.

    It was done by an architect and the project design team.

    The thing which is really surprising is that they have only a couple of Cameron Brewer quotes & they are buried in the middle…

  5. NZJester 5
    7 December 2014 at 11:24 am

    Looks like they are slowly starting their campaign to whitewash John Bank’s past and make Len Brown look more sleazy than Banks as they possibly can. Expect to see more articles praising Banks and demonizing Brown over the long run-up time to the next Mayoral election assuming they do not find some trumped up way to cut Len’s time in office shorter. Expect to see both their histories rewritten slowly over time to put Banks in a positive light and Brown’s made to look even worse.

    • greywarshark 5.1
      7 December 2014 at 12:47 pm

      @ NZJester
      Pleae keep an eye out for these and then the rest of us don’t have to touch the NZ Herlad which is usually the print version of Whaleoil. When they appear to be redeeming themselves with something worthwhile it just raises suspicions, sadly often proving factual, that they have some motive for the long run.

  6. millsy 6
    7 December 2014 at 11:43 am

    Len Brown gave the right 95% of what they wanted….

    Imagine the crap from the media if we had a truly left wing Auckland Mayor.

    • Naturesong 6.1
      7 December 2014 at 1:51 pm

      Nope – none of that matters.

      Although, theres been a fair amount of public land go under the hammer in the last 18 months, he hasn’t sold off Auckland’s public utilities … yet.

      The whole point of the Super City was to enable access to ARH’s assets.

      And given that my water rates have gone up over 300% since watercare was seperated as a CCO – I imagine that particular monopoly is looking pretty tasty to the rentiers within NZ’s population

  7. Lindsey 7
    7 December 2014 at 11:47 am

    Name me a Mayor who does not have a place to keep a spare shirt and to have a shower between engagements and meetings. Most of them work very long hours and need to freshen up. I bet Banks had a private shower and dressing room etc but The Herald is not going to tell you that. Banks also cost the ratepayers for a new garage for his Bentley as the open air Mayoral parking outside the Greys Ave building was not good enough.

    • Tom Jackson 7.1
      8 December 2014 at 1:03 am

      Name me a Mayor who does not have a place to keep a spare shirt and to have a shower between engagements and meetings.

      Mayor McCheese?

      What do I win?

  8. ghostwhowalksnz 8
    7 December 2014 at 12:16 pm

    The post by Russell Brown shows we need a regular media watch type program ( TV as the newspapers wont touch it)

    But wait, isnt there “Media Take” with Russell Brown ?

    Its really only a ‘Seven Sharp’ for media junkies.

    Lots of nice soft soap for those in the media world, like this on this years opening show.
    “… looking at the way media works for the majority and talking to Stacey Morrison about that”.

    yeah right. its an even narrower world that that of “Streety’

    Or this:
    “… I talk to Katherine Reed, Associate Professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, about the new face of serious reporting: Buzzfeed and Vice. ”

    Its like when Seven Sharp gets all investigative:
    “royal babies, why are the media so obsessed? , we tell you.”

    • tc 8.1
      7 December 2014 at 2:28 pm

      Wait till maxwells silver hammer gets going at Maori TV, it’ll go from lightweight to CT styled media critique.

      Maxwell dodged every serious question when he appeared with a smile and ‘look what I’m about….’

    • Chooky 8.2
      8 December 2014 at 9:02 am

      @ghostnz….Morriessy already does the radio media watch very well on the Standard…. but it is a bit irregular…maybe it should become a regular feature?

  9. TeWhareWhero 9
    7 December 2014 at 12:18 pm

    This really is bottom of the barrel stuff. Those who wrote and published this piece of schlock journalism know very well that a hint of salacity combined with a pinch of prodigality usually ensures a well risen moral panic – and a moral panic about someone popularly perceived to be on the Left is needed to divert attention away from National’s dirty politics scandals.

  10. The Murphey 10
    7 December 2014 at 12:57 pm

    Q. How much has Dick Quax cost the city of Auckland by signing the ‘New Core Programme’ funding?

    A. $71m – original funding
    B. >$170m – newly estimated total required funding
    C. Unknown – the interest costs nor the total expenditure will ever be published in full

    Q. How might Dicks quoted comments add credibility to the article about the mayoral bathroom costs?

    • tc 10.1
      7 December 2014 at 2:36 pm

      They don’t want to publish how much the Deloittes, PWC and the other snouts are making, it’s Rodney’s gravy train and completely unnecessary.

      Auckland council systems and processes should have been scaled up and out but no they’re reinventing it and badly burning shitloads in the process for an end result that will be at best no better probably worse.

  11. Naturesong 11
    7 December 2014 at 1:29 pm

    It gest sworse with the followup here:
    ‘Secret room’ spending shows need for recall elections

    It’s not til halfway down the article that it is revealed that the the Dirty Politics boys of the Taxpayers Union calling for recall elections.

    I do note that in the interest of balance the article also states at the bottom;
    “A spokesman for Brown told the Herald on Sunday that Auckland Council, not the mayoral office, made all decisions on what facilities to include in Brown’s new office.”

    … before continuing the smear;
    “A report released one year ago found Mr Brown used his council phone to make nearly 1,400 personal calls and texts to his then-mistress Bevan Chuang. He also failed to declare more than $39,000 in free hotel rooms and upgrades.“

    • The Murphey 11.1
      7 December 2014 at 2:19 pm

      “Councillors have already censured Len Brown for misusing funds but clearly the line in the sand is being ignored,” said Jordan Williams, Taxpayers’ Union executive director.

      “The Taxpayers’ Union was co-founded by Mr Williams and right-wing blogger David Farrar”

      Q. Are the articles deliberately written such they can be read as equally damaging to those quoted inside the article by highlighting their duplicity?

      • Naturesong 11.1.1
        7 December 2014 at 2:41 pm

        If you just skimmed the article, or saw the headline, or did not know who Willaims or Farrar were, you would likely take the allegations at face value.

        Case in point (alert – anecdata incoming), my Mum, 2 or 3 months out from the election, when asked to present an opinion about David Cunliffe expressed distrust.
        When asked what had caused her to distrust an MP whose electorate is close to hers, she was unable to give any example, or even where she’d got the idea.
        I asked her to keep an open mind, and be attentive whenever she saw him speaking, instead of people talking about him.

        By the day of the election her opinion of Cunliffe was this:
        A serious and competent technocrat guided by his anglican beliefs. Missing the personal magnetism he needs to pull it off.

        Point being, constant negative new headlines, true or not, in papers you read or not, on TV whether or not you watch it still gets into your subconsious.

        • The Murphey 11.1.1.1
          7 December 2014 at 3:39 pm

          The subconscious is a prison for the unaware. It keeps people trapped into believing the existing systems will do anything other than continue to enslave and kill all organic organisms.

          The anecdote about Cunliffe is apt.

          There is not one single politician who is currently involved or who would be allowed to enter politics that can offer anything other than support for the establishment. Support is not always directly perceptible even to the trained observer. The energy spent on supporting or believing in the establishment is astounding and must be broken down.

          When the subconscious prison has been escaped perhaps change could be possible.

          Time is not on the side of the imprisoned.

      • ghostwhowalksnz 11.1.2
        7 December 2014 at 2:47 pm

        Williams and Cactus kate were two lawyers outed in the Dirty Politics scandal who were ‘let go’ by their employers soon after.

      • greywarshark 11.1.3
        7 December 2014 at 5:30 pm

        Which councillors? That would be a great way to create false’ stories of apprehension by the whole council or the ‘ratepayers’ friends part of it. Ask leading negative questions and make statements as a councillor or through a councillor, then dash off a story to a compliant fish and chip printing rag claiming to have inside information about tensions and questions inside council against the Mayor. Smear every action. White-ant every public service work that is attempted.

  12. coaster 12
    7 December 2014 at 2:04 pm

    I wonder if the sis have a camera installed in there.

  13. Lindsey 13
    7 December 2014 at 2:07 pm

    I see The Herald is too cowardly to enable comments on this non-story.

  14. North 14
    7 December 2014 at 5:03 pm

    A bathroom behind a bookcase ??? Jeezus !!! What’s Brown got in his shoe ???

    • BassGuy 14.1
      7 December 2014 at 6:39 pm

      Well, James Brown had plenty of soul so Len Brown probably has some sole.

      (Sorry.)

      • Tom Jackson 14.1.1
        8 December 2014 at 1:18 am

        Len the unstoppable sex machine.

        • gsays 14.1.1.1
          8 December 2014 at 8:54 am

          papas got a brand new pad?

        • phillip ure 14.1.1.2
          8 December 2014 at 9:32 am

          brown cd use ‘sex machine’ as his next campaign-song/slogan..

          ..vote for len..!..he’ll get it on up..!..like a sex-machine..!

          ‘..first there was james..!..now there is len..!..getting it on up..!

          ..don’t get down and funky..get funky and down..!..with brown..!..

          (and i guess brown isn’t so much coming out of the closet..

          ..as going behind the bookcase..eh..?..

          ..and putting a new/salacious interpretation on ‘what’s len doing?’..’getting into a good book’..)

          ..has he thought of a line of perfume/colognes..?

          ..smell ‘len’..and then get on down..!..

          ..len..feel the power..!

  15. greywarshark 15
    7 December 2014 at 5:20 pm

    What a heel!

  16. North 16
    7 December 2014 at 5:52 pm

    Well spotted GreyWarShark ! That of course raises the spectre of Len’s palm which leads unmistakeably to questions of the greasing thereof……..My God things are getting worse. To HoS TipLine at once !

  17. Halfcrown 17
    7 December 2014 at 5:57 pm

    Have you seen Slime News @5.30pm? Scoop, Terrible, Shame, Disgusting. Len Brown has a “secret” bathroom behind a bookcase. No mention of mirrors on the ceiling but there was a reference to that female he got involved with.
    Definitely a start to another sleazy dirty politic campaign against Brown.
    Personally I am not keen on the guy, but he is far superior to the other shit offered.
    Dirty Politics is alive and well.

  18. Penny Bright 18
    7 December 2014 at 9:54 pm

    When is the ‘Tax Payers’ Union going to look at the BIG stuff?

    Like – how dodgy was the purchase of this whole new Auckland Council building – 135 Albert St Auckland City – not just Mayor Len Brown’s dodgy little room?

    How about following the BIG dollar$? ……..

    FYI
    ______________________________________________________________________________________

    23 March 2013

    Auckland Mayoral candidate Penny Bright asks if there were corrupt ‘conflicts of interest’ involved in the purchase by Auckland Council of the former ASB building

    ______________________________________________________________________________________

    On 21 March 2013, Auckland Councillors discussed at a workshop whether or not to move into the former ASB building at 135 Albert St.

    In the interests of TRANSPARENCY and DEMOCRATIC ACCOUNTABILITY – how about we ‘back up the truck’ and look at how exactly it was decided to spend a stray $100 million (without full public consultation) on the purchase of this property, and for what reason?

    Let’s also have a good, hard look at who has been involved…….

    http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/auckland-council-headquarters-move-vy-124051

    Any untoward conflicts of interest between those who bought this property and those from whom this property was bought?

    Where are the publicly-available ‘Registers of Interest’?

    WHO IS CHECKING?

    I did some checking.

    This is what I found…………….

    AND (IN MY CONSIDERED OPINION) IT STINKS TO HIGH HEAVEN WITH THE STENCH OF ‘CORRUPT CRONY CAPITALISM’!

    http://www.committeeforauckland.co.nz/membership/member-organisations

    Peter Wall, Director of Auckland Council Property Ltd CCO, is a member of the ‘invitation-only’ / $10.000 per year membership fee private lobby group – the Committee for Auckland, along with Auckland Council CEO – Doug McKay.

    Peter Wall is also:

    EXECUTIVE TEAM OF AUCKLAND COUNCIL PROPERTY LTD

    http://www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/EN/ABOUTCOUNCIL/REPRESENTATIVESBODIES/CCO/Pages/council_property.aspx

    “Peter George Wall
    BCA – Bachelor of Commerce and Administration
    ACA – Associate Chartered Accountant

    Peter has enjoyed over 30 years in the Property industry participating in development, investment management and the acquisition and disposal of some $1.2 billion of Property assets. He has held CEO roles in public property companies, operated in UK, France and Canada and for 3 years was Managing Director, Property for Brookfield Multiplex in NZ and he continues to provide consulting services to this company.

    Peter is a past National President of the Property Council in NZ, President and Trustee of the North Harbour Charitable Trust, Trustee of the Graeme Dingle Foundation trust and Chair of the Harbour Access Trust which has as its responsibilities the development of the National Ocean Water Sports Centre at Takapuna and ferry services to Takapuna and Browns Bay.”

    ______________________________________________________________________________________

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10816011

    Council eyes $122m ASB tower for new HQ
    By Anne Gibson
    5:30 AM Thursday Jun 28, 2012

    The Auckland Council plans to buy new upmarket headquarters so it can quit a civic high-rise block tentatively earmarked for demolition.

    The council has entered private negotiations to buy the ASB Bank Centre, valued by an Australian institutional fund at $112 million, substantially upgrading it for its staff and housing many of them under one roof.
    ………………………………..

    ASB Bank Centre, 135 Albert St.
    Valued at $112 million, owned by Brookfield Multiplex
    31 levels with extensive carparking.”
    ______________________________________________________________________________________

    http://www.business.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/886938
    ______________________________________________________________________________________

    BROOKFIELD MULTIPLEX CONSTRUCTIONS (NZ) LIMITED (886938)

    Last updated on 14 Dec 2011

    Company number:886938
    Incorporation Date:17 Dec 1997
    Company Status:Registered

    Company Addresses:Registered Office
    Level 8, 66 Wyndham St, Auckland , New Zealand

    Address for service
    Level 8, 66 Wyndham St, Auckland , New Zealand
    View all addresses

    Directors Showing 2 of 2 directors
    George KOSTAS
    36 Johnston St,, Annandale, Nsw 2038, Australia ,

    Peter George WALL
    233 Beach Road, Campbells Bay, North Shore City, 0630 , New Zealand ”

    ______________________________________________________________________________________

    What role did Peter Wall, Director of Brookfields Multiplex Constructions (NZ) Ltd; member of the ‘Executive Team of Auckland Council CCO, Auckland Council Property Ltd, play in the purchase of the former ASB building, owned by Brookfields Multiplex?

    How DODGY (corrupt?) is THIS?

    Auckland Council – $UPERCITY for the 1%?

    Run by big business and property developers FOR big business and property developers?

    Anyone else got concerns about this?

    Penny Bright
    ‘Anti-corruption campaigner’

    2013 Auckland Mayoral Candidate

    • Chooky 18.1
      8 December 2014 at 9:10 am

      +100 Penny Bright for Mayor ….to sort out Auckland Supercity corruption

      Maybe Auckland needs to revert back to its separate regional councils and mayoralties?…and have an overseeing Auckland authority /body in an advisory and research role

      ….that way the power is spread around the regions and is more democratic and less susceptible to BIG MONEY Corruption and dirty right wing politics outside the voters’ control

    • Tracey 18.2
      8 December 2014 at 9:35 am

      never. its not on their agenda. that lovely fair minded blogger f6arrar is involved

      • Chooky 18.2.1
        8 December 2014 at 9:43 am

        yes but surely if the people got up a referendum and 99% wanted to go back …would it happen?….or dont New Zealanders’ democratic votes count for anything anymore

        …i fear for Wellington

  19. Murray Rawshark 19
    7 December 2014 at 9:56 pm

    They thanked me for providing them with feedback:
    The above, particularly the picture with Bevan Chuang, does not belong in a serious newspaper. Congratulations for going down the same road as the unlamented Truth. Does the journalist responsible source their material from Cameron Slater?

    • Ed 19.1
      7 December 2014 at 10:51 pm

      I doubt that Williams and Farrar needed information from Slater for this one. It is however a good illustration of the National party smear machine continuing. Farrar and Williams may well have been prompted by upset over media coverage of the subsidy to the mens Golf photo-op for John Key – Taxpayer Union is however a good front name that still seems to get reported at face value by the media. Next Farrar will be claiming to be an independent journalist again . . .

      • Murray Rawshark 19.1.1
        8 December 2014 at 6:38 pm

        Yeah, I’m sick of those union thugs. About time we stood up to Farrar and Jordan.

  20. Pat O'Dea 20
    7 December 2014 at 10:25 pm

    Dirty politics could not have succeeded without dirty journalism

    Unfortunately New Zealand is a poorer place for it.

    You have to wonder how these people sleep at night.

    All I can say is thank God for the blogs otherwise the sleaze and innuendo that the establishment MSM try to pass off as journalism would pass by unremarked

  21. Tom Jackson 21
    8 December 2014 at 1:19 am

    NZ politics now makes professional wrestling look sober and tasteful by comparison.

  22. Sanctuary 22
    8 December 2014 at 8:11 am

    The Auckland political right – as represented by the NZ Herald editorial board, the business establishment and the dirty politics hard core – remains as unreconstructed, arrogant, unprincipled, corrupt, immoral and desperate as ever. They truly are disgusting people.

    Unfortunately, that means this story should show why it should be obvious that Brown can’t run again. Keeping those bastards like Brewer, his business partner Carrick Graham, Dick Quax and Cameron Slater well away from high office is the main thing, and Brown will clearly be subjected to an all out media assault of character assassination and beat-ups by the full Auckland establishment if he runs again. This story is warning shot and a taste of how the right will run the mayoralty campaign, mark my words.

  23. Sable 23
    8 December 2014 at 12:11 pm

    What can you expect from the tired old Tory trumpet…

  24. Big Dog 24
    8 December 2014 at 12:45 pm

    Well there you go.As someone who swore off the herald years ago I was mystified down the club yesterday by a lot of snide references to Mayor Browns bathroom facilitys.All stirred up they were as well but no surprises there.(yacht club)I would tend to agree that Brown should stand downas the thought of Banks as mayor again is unthinkable.Is it not possible to get a stake through this old scrote,as you get relaxed,thinking he’s gone and the worst that could happen is the odd whatever happened to story and then WTF like the creature from the black lagoon, its back

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    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
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    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
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    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
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    21 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
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  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
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  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
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  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
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  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
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  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
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  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
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  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
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  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
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  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

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  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

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  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
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    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
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  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
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  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

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  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

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    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

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    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
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    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
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    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
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    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
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    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
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    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
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    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
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    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
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    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
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    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
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    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

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    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
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  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
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    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
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  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
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    1 week ago

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