Slater backs down

Written By: - Date published: 11:08 am, September 10th, 2014 - 67 comments
Categories: democracy under attack, john key, Media, national, same old national - Tags: , , , ,

Cameron Slater High Court list

In breaking news Cameron Slater’s application for an injunction against various media outlets preventing publication of further Dirty Politics stories has been withdrawn.  The terms of the settlement as outlined in the NBR are as follows:

In consideration for Mr Slater dropping the injunction, the media companies agreed to not to use information that was not in the public interest, including but not limited to Mr Slater’s wife, children, medical information, the death of his mother and other inherently personal information regarding Mr Slater and his friends.

The lawyer for the media, Julian Miles QC, had told the court on Friday his media companies defendants would not go near such information anyway.

No doubt Slater will claim success.  If it is to be considered to be a victory is is only of the most pyrrhic kind.

I posted earlier that I thought his prospects against the media were not so good and I thought that as long as the media confirmed that personal emails should remain private then they would be able to refer to the emails that were in the public interest.  Clearly the media are interested in only running stories where there is a public interest.

Slater has made application for a return of the hacked information.  I am not sure of the details and I don’t know why he would do this unless he thinks that if he has access to the raw data this may give him a clue as to who Whaledump is.  If so it is funny that Slater should not be respecting a Journalist’s right to keep such information secret when he is claiming in another case that he has such a right.  Presuming this is correct he is asserting a right in the Blomfield case that he is denying exists in the Whaledump case.

The way should now be open for publication of stories relating to the Jason Ede emails.  National has still not presented any plausible reason why John Key’s office should have used state supplied resources to engage in politics of the dirtiest kind.  If we want to ensure the health of our democracy this is a story that needs to be explored to the deepest darkest corners of the form of Dirty Politics that National is engaged in.

67 comments on “Slater backs down ”

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  1. karol 1
    10 September 2014 at 11:16 am

    Ah, so it is just the “personal” emails that media will not publish, but they may still publish previously unpublished emails, as long as they are in the public interest.

    I was thinking Slater wanted access to the emails because he didn’t know which ones Rawshark had hacked. he wants to know what info the media have on him, so that he can be forewarned and prepare his defense.

  2. veutoviper 2
    10 September 2014 at 11:20 am

    Thanks for this, MS. I caught a bit only of the RNZ National 11am news on the subject which suggested that there may be one hiccup, however. This is what RNZ news is reporting on their website.

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/254212/media,-cameron-slater-agree-on-personal-emails

    The possible hiccup appears to be that Slater wants to see what the media have in terms of as yet unpublished emails. It is not clear from the report whether the hearing is over or continuing to settle this issue. Is this likely to delay any publication by the media of the public interest emails – eg Ede/Slater?

    • veutoviper 2.1
      10 September 2014 at 11:41 am

      Further to the above, Herald is now reporting that the hearing was adjourned and will continue next week (apparently next Monday according to the discussion now taking place on Nine to Noon).

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11322033

      Going on the lack of any publication by the media since last Friday’s interim court decision, it would seem likely that the media may continue their silence until after next week’s hearing.

      Next Monday is the same day as KDC’s Town Hall ‘revelations’ ….

      • yeshe 2.1.1
        10 September 2014 at 12:05 pm

        Methinks it is likely a major ploy to get this all delayed until after the election … smelling bad to me …

  3. Tracey 3
    10 September 2014 at 11:21 am

    Fascinating. Does anyone have evidence that such emails have been published to date, about his family, medical issues etc?

    • joe90 3.1
      10 September 2014 at 11:32 am

      .

      I was a little taken aback by the first dump which had a fair amount of personal stuff that wasn’t redacted and too his/her/their credit whaledump deleted that version and apologised for the mistake.

      • Tracey 3.1.1
        10 September 2014 at 11:39 am

        Thanks Joe. I was more thinking about Hager (who no one has sued for demation yet), and media outlets.

      • Hayden 3.1.2
        10 September 2014 at 11:47 am

        On the other hand, that was the only stuff that makes him look even a little bit sympathetic. Until you juxtapose Aaron Bhatnagar’s offer of the loan of a beach house for his family with the way he talks about Bhatnagar to other people.

        NB: not an argument in favour of publishing personal details!

    • ghostwhowalksnz 3.2
      10 September 2014 at 11:57 am

      Not so much published, but there was a release by ZBs Rachel Smalley of a conversation between Slater and a friend. Slater was being a extreme misogynist.

  4. disturbed 4
    10 September 2014 at 11:22 am

    IMPORTANT HERE, I heard at 5.30pm last night on Prime news that last May many thousands of sites were hacked under a yahoo hack.

    NZ Police files, and others in NZ including the Government, Jason Ede TO PM and others such as Slater’s account were taken then. DID PM GO TO NSA AROND THIS TIME?

    The report suggested the wide ranging details of Slater and NZ Police and other agencies plus Ede and PMs files are already out in the global sphere so Slater has missed the boat entirely and he and the PM know they are in trouble deep.

    Don’t believe their con job have put on NZ public so go hard on this new global leak now uncovered thanks to Prime news last night.

    So if TS or you have not heard of this please find that news item as no other MSM has covered this story that should also be all over the MSM as of now.

    BM said Slater wasn’t important. bullshit.

    Yes he is the principal witness in this Watergate affair?

    He interfaced with our Government agencies such as SIS and others .

    How will we know who else if he is not investigated thoroughly?

    Talk about a cover up Nixon tried this I was there in US at the time working, so they had to censure the people who initiated that plot to destroy the opposition Party as Slater did in this case.

    Until we get full access through Slater, Ede PM and others we wont get to the truth, so is that what you want?

    This is what we now face and you don’t want this right?
    But Dotcom is unsure how the public will react, especially following the fallout – or lack of fallout – from Dirty Politics.

    “When I read Nicky Hager’s book, I thought, ‘It’s over for John Key’. I didn’t think the New Zealand public would put up with something like that, and I’m really surprised how little impact the book had.

    We have been marched over by the worst propaganda since pre-war Germany using virtually the same tactics here.

    Stripping out the investigative journalism stables so they could use only brainwashing by the tabloid MSM was always part f their Nazi like agenda.

    Now it is coming true, so why should we be surprised?

    NZ is now on display to the world as a shinning example of another hollowed out country by a process used by a hollowed out Government and media combined to take away our fragile Freedoms and Democracy.

    The Government & MSM are surely our enemies conspiring against all this and our miserable future we see ahead.

    • Clemgeopin 4.1
      10 September 2014 at 11:40 am

      “no other MSM has covered this story that should also be all over the MSM as of now.”

      TV1 had that hacking news as their first item on 6 pm news.

      http://tvnz.co.nz/one-news/s2014-eptuesday-video-6076547

    • Chooky 4.2
      10 September 2014 at 11:54 am

      +100…this is good …”The report suggested the wide ranging details of Slater and NZ Police and other agencies plus Ede and PMs files are already out in the global sphere…”

      …the msm can not afford to ignore this! …if it wants to retain any credibility whatsoever…as a seeker of Truth in the public good

    • karol 4.3
      10 September 2014 at 12:06 pm

      Thanks, disturbed, I found the One News story on it and did a post on it.

    • Mike 4.4
      10 September 2014 at 2:16 pm

      When I read the opinion comments in the Herald I feel confident that the NZ public get it, and Key will be gone come the election. I think Key knows it too.

      The comments and sentiments here:

      http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11321937

      along with all the other comments on articles that I’ve read in the Herald in the past week or so, are damning. In fact the comments on one article ( can’t remember which) were so unanimous and passionate in condemnation of National, they were shut down.

      Seems to me the sentiment against National is only growing stronger since Key’s tax cut fiasco. The Roy Morgan poll, along with all the early voters, only enforce that perception . I believe New Zealand voters are now very aware of how important this election is, I am.

      I’ve never being a passionate follower of politics in my 42 years living in NZ. Until I realised, without a shadow of doubt in my mind, that Key is deliberately trying to destroy New Zealand. .

  5. Enough is Enough 5
    10 September 2014 at 11:22 am

    This the corporate media.

    They want National to win.

    The may publish some of the juicy emails. But I guarantee that they won’t do it until after the election.

  6. Sable 6
    10 September 2014 at 11:25 am

    No. The way is now clear for the collaborators in the MSM to bury the whole thing by playing it down, finding and exaggerating inconsequential shortcomings in other political figures or parties or by distracting the public with the usual pointless journalistic spam…

  7. fambo 7
    10 September 2014 at 11:25 am

    “not in the public interest”

    Could mean anything you wanted it to mean eg we won’t publish this damning email to do with the government because it might destabilise the country.

  8. Tracey 8
    10 September 2014 at 11:27 am

    why has nbr broken the news while stuff and herald online still make no mention of it?

    • phillip ure 8.1
      10 September 2014 at 11:30 am

      @ tracey..

      ..do you remember sneering at me for noting there is more to come..?

      ..yesterday..wasn’t it..?

      ..do you ever concede that you are wrong..about anything..?

      ..or is it just another day..

      ..and just yet another orifice-plucked opinion..?

      • Tracey 8.1.1
        10 September 2014 at 11:43 am

        Sigh. Phil. I apologised to Alwyn yesterday for being wrong. To Puddlegum today for being wrong. Can you post the link to the post you made that I sneered at and while you are at it a link to your admission you were wrong about the banks barrister applying for discharge without conviction and winning?

        Does anyone have a mirror for Phil!?!?

        • phillip ure 8.1.1.1
          10 September 2014 at 12:02 pm

          so..two admitted ‘wrongs’ in two days..and an accusation of one more..

          ..does that frequency of being ‘wrong’ give you any pause for thought..?..at all..?

          ..and i mentioned it because i have noted a pattern where you throw up a total orifice-pluck..

          ..yr wild-contention is dismantled..

          ..and then you just disappear/don’t reply..

          ..and then pop up again the next day..with a fresh one..

          ..it’s past time you were called on it..

          ..and you are now saying you don’t remember contending yesterday that there were no more dirty politics revelations..

          ..arguing at me for saying there were..?

          ..you don’t remember that..?

          ..are you kidding me..?..or yrslf..?

          • Tracey 8.1.1.1.1
            10 September 2014 at 12:08 pm

            Well it makes a lie of your suggestion I am never wrong, and never accept I am wrong.

            As for your offence taken yesterday, I was suggesting that you are not the most reliable person when it comes to predictions of the future.are you denying that you told everyone here that banks was going to apply for and get discharged without conviction cos you heard his barrister tell someone that, and it didnt eventuate?

            Mirror mirror on the wall… phil cant look at you at all.

            Written before you editted your post above this

            This ought to be in open mike, dontchathink?

            • phillip ure 8.1.1.1.1.1
              10 September 2014 at 12:14 pm

              as i pointed out to you last time you raised this bullshit..(and then disappeared..)

              ..this case is not over yet..

              ..and if his appeal against conviction is knocked back..

              ..then the discharge without conviction option will again be up..

              ..but you trained as a lawyer..didn’t you..?

              ..why do i have to tell you this..?

              ..and if trained as a lawyer..how do you not already know it..?

              ..and if you know it..why did you spout that bullshit..?

              ..either way..you lose…

              ..and i understand you no longer practise law..?

              ..that at least is a blessing..

              • Tracey …
                10 September 2014 at 12:19 pm

                You are being disingenuous.

                You know exactly what you meant at the time you made your prediction. That after being found guilty he would apply for and get a discharge without conviction. He didnt.

                Now, I am not going round in circles with you, that is why i stop engaging with you, and to suit your world view (with the earth revolving round you) you call it running away. Have at it Phil.

                Enough of Mickeys thread has gone to this.

                • phillip ure …
                  10 September 2014 at 12:32 pm

                  i didn’t say he wd ‘get it’..i said that he wd apply for it..

                  ..and as i pointed out to you previously..this option for banks was widely aired in the media..at the time..

                  ..i was hardly saying anything radical..

                  ..and i hafta say..that you got thru law-school..

                  ..i find kinda disturbing..

                  ..and in the other argument you have had today..yr giving that bullshit rightwing spin/allegation oxygen..i actually laughed out loud when karol asked you what was yr ‘point’..?

                  ..’cos you usually don’t have one..eh..?..(question is rhetorical..)

                  ..so she was engaging in a task worthy of sisyphus..

                  ..and on that note..

                  ..news calls..!…the end..

                  (apologies to m.s for oxygen-consumption..)

  9. Blue 9
    10 September 2014 at 11:32 am

    In consideration for Mr Slater dropping the injunction, the media companies agreed to not to use information that was not in the public interest, including but not limited to Mr Slater’s wife, children, medical information, the death of his mother and other inherently personal information regarding Mr Slater and his friends.

    No one gives a shit about this information anyway. That must have been the fastest settlement in history.

    I wish Rawshark had just done the final dumps himself rather than allowing the MSM to sit on the information.

    • Ant 9.1
      10 September 2014 at 12:26 pm

      Yeah same here. It showed a lot of confidence in the media who have been a hideous failure to date…

    • karol 9.2
      10 September 2014 at 1:24 pm

      Rawshark said that all the political emails he had had been released. When he left, he said he’d achieved what he’d set out to do. Hager said he used all the “best stuff” in his book, and that there may be some “bits and pieces” to come. I really don’t think there’s any killer blow left to release. if it had been there, Hager would have used it, and Rawshark before he departed.

      I’d rather people focused on getting more corroborating evidence of what has already been published.

      However, the continuing court case does make it look like Slater has something to hide.

      • yeshe 9.2.1
        10 September 2014 at 2:41 pm

        Karol… Hager only had 8Gbs from a total of ten years worth ( sources Dirty Politics and Slater’s injunction papers). So Nicky certainly published everything he had.

        The rest ? There is SO much more available, if MSM don’t screw us completely.

        • karol 9.2.1.1
          10 September 2014 at 2:52 pm

          I’m not sure there was anything else hacked. Hager said at Waikato, that the Hacker had only got a small proportion of Slater’s emails when he did the hack.

          Show me the actual quotations from those sources.

          I really think the emails of most significance have already been reported on. What we need is some corroborating evidence from elsewhere.

          People keep saying that there are Ede-Slater emails to come, but that just seems like hearsay to me.

          And I think there are more important aspects of Dirty Politics to focus on.

  10. Penny Bright 10
    10 September 2014 at 11:42 am

    FYI – seen this?

    You can find the latest alleged ‘WhaleDump’ here:

    http://fmacskasy.wordpress.com/2014/09/10/latest-from-whaledump2-jordan-williams-and-cameron-slater/

    If true – this is NOT a good look for Stephen Franks, who is the Principal of Wellington law firm FRANKS & OGILVIE (Commercial and Public Law Ltd).

    http://www.franksogilvie.co.nz/

    According to LinkedIn – Jordan Williams, Executive Director of New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is a consultant for Franks & Ogilvie.

    http://nz.linkedin.com/pub/jordan-williams/20/b29/34

    NOT a good look, in my opinion, on a number of fronts.

    In 2008 Stephen Franks was the National Party candidate for Wellington Central.

    http://www.stephenfranks.co.nz/wellington-central-candidate-for-the-national-party/

    Yep – it certainly looks like this corrupt National Government, with its nests of dirty, despicable vipers – needs to be cleaned out ASAP so we can get back our DECENT New Zealand?

    Penny Bright

  11. AwakeWhileSleeping 11
    10 September 2014 at 11:43 am

    In other words he recognises the damage that publication of personal information can do. If only he would treat others the way he would like to be treated.

    This mutherfucker needs Jesus.

  12. slipery 12
    10 September 2014 at 11:56 am

    I saw prime newz, it mentioned the mass adobe site/software hack that happend last year, (I watched 1news too so may be incorrect, but was on newz last nite.) I did know already yahoo & extra email servers have also been compromised by hackers too last year. Still anyones guess as to how but no surprises about the why.

  13. yeshe 13
    10 September 2014 at 12:17 pm

    Surely this has to be more very dodgy smoke and mirrors ? That major international hack against Adobe happened months and months ago .. why now is it suddenly lead story on the news ?

    • ghostwhowalksnz 13.1
      10 September 2014 at 12:24 pm

      To justify the GCSB ‘protecting us from evil’ ahead of the Dotcom revelations

      • yeshe 13.1.1
        10 September 2014 at 12:34 pm

        something mysterious in this covering up for sure, using an old hacking less than 24 hrs before Slater backs down in court .. but keeps his hearings going.

        The spin from this govt is making me dizzy and surely it must centrifuge back to its own bumhole sooner than later ?

    • phillip ure 13.2
      10 September 2014 at 12:39 pm

      this all brings to mind what peters said the other day..

      ..as one of his reasons for not saying who he will go with..

      ..he noted..(darkly..)..that that was anyway impossible to say here and now..

      ..’because there is so much more to come out in the next two weeks’..

      ..buckle-up folks..!

      ..it’s gonna get bumpy..

      ..and it sure as hell won’t be boring..

      ..and you would have to count farrar amongst those dreading the upcoming revelations..

      ..having worked hand-in-glove with slater on so many smear-campaigns..

      ..the slater/farrar comms are second on my list of want-to-see..

      ..just below slater/ede…and thus to key..

      • yeshe 13.2.1
        10 September 2014 at 12:56 pm

        but did you see winston has said today the inquiries set up by key meet all his requirements ? i posted just now in open mike…

        let’s hope the coming bumps are big enough to shake them all from their perches .. including King DicKey bird !

        • phillip ure 13.2.1.1
          10 September 2014 at 1:04 pm

          @ yeshe..

          ..yeah..that whole royal commission call is a smokescreen..

          ..’cos recent legislative-changes have made a second-grade commission..as powerful as a royal commission..

          ..it has essentially the same powers..

          .and peters knows this..

  14. slipery 14
    10 September 2014 at 12:35 pm

    Definately a lame steam media distraction. Lol reply was post mature but that’s due to moderation lag. 🙂

  15. slipery 15
    10 September 2014 at 12:38 pm

    The msm is fizing at the bung hole

  16. disturbed 16
    10 September 2014 at 12:54 pm

    TV one news here confirms Adobe breach has now admitted our watchdogs are corrupted by hackers into Edes and Slater’s accounts are now world wide Ha Ha.

    http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/top-level-kiwis-hit-global-adobe-hack-6076397

  17. Sans Cle 17
    10 September 2014 at 1:23 pm

    I saw this on Stuff last night. IMHO I thought it was all a bit sensationalist…..even a lure to try to get hackers involved? But no idea how hacking etc operates or who is involved….so I may be naive. But found the naming of Ede in the article a bit strange.
    And also “Slater told One News this was not the case”, comment looked like a set up….
    MSM quoting Slater? Fushy to me. No real backup detail on story, where it sprang from.
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/10478641/Spies-hit-in-AdobeGushy

  18. yeshe 18
    10 September 2014 at 2:46 pm

    maybe they are laying ground work attempting to demonstrate ( for later use and interpretation) that Slater had no access to anyone at all ? It was all available anyway to everyone who knew?

    Or it’s to counter what they think is coming from KDC on Monday .. for sure, they are laying some fresh pegs in the ground requiring them to use something as dated as this Adobe hacking in this way, at this exact moment.

    • karol 18.1
      10 September 2014 at 5:04 pm

      i don’t think the journalists or media companies involved are acting in a planned way with the Nats.

      I think the Nats are aiming to delay any further news coverage of the Dirty Politics material for as long as possible – they probably hope til after the election.

      The journos are acting according to the procedures and logic of the corporate media – to proceed with caution, making sure they work through all the legal issues.

      Not sure who this benefits. It keeps the story on the front pages of the media.

      • Hanswurst 18.1.1
        10 September 2014 at 7:20 pm

        One thing that suggests to me that there is nothing too serious to come is that they are also competing with each other. Presumably, each journalist would want to be the first to publish anything sensational, and would keep their cards close to their chest. Thus, none of them would know what the others have and they would all be desperate to get their story out before the rest. Therefore, any further revelations are likely to be along the lines of some typically questionable but substantially unrevealing correspondence between Slater and Ede (or somebody else), rather than a king hit.

  19. Big Norm 19
    10 September 2014 at 3:02 pm

    So he can write any vicious, rotten crap he damn well likes about New Zealanders, including the young man killed in that car crash? Yet he thinks his mum and family should be sacrosanct, when he doesn’t give a toss about the feelings of the mother of the crash victim — who had lost all four of her sons to tragedies!

    Whatever happened to ‘live by the sword, die by the sword’?
    Slater, you wimp, you can give it but you aint got the guts to take it!

  20. Puckish Rogue 20
    10 September 2014 at 3:14 pm

    Well done both sides, common sense prevails in that the personal stuff is hidden but the important stuff can be published

    Hopefully that pleases everyone

  21. D'Esterre 21
    10 September 2014 at 8:33 pm

    @ Big Norm: indeed. I’d also noticed this. Slater has been happy to publish personal details about others, yet he expects protection over such matters for himself? Hypocrite…

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