Slater capitulates

Written By: - Date published: 8:19 am, September 30th, 2014 - 71 comments
Categories: accountability, democracy under attack - Tags: ,

In a significant development Cameron Slater has brought his application for an injunction and for return of his personal information from various media outlets to and end and has opened himself up to a potentially significant order of costs against him.

From Radio New Zealand:

Mr Slater’s lawyer John Billington QC told the High Court in Auckland he would not be continuing with the legal action launched following the release of investigative journalist Nicky Hager’s book Dirty Politics.

The move means the undertaking by the media not to publish Mr Slater’s emails containing personal information is no longer in force.

According to the agreement previously read out in court, that included information about Mr Slater’s “wife and children, his medical records, the death of his mother and information of a similar nature.”

And Mr Slater could also be in line for a large legal bill. Representing the publisher of the New Zealand Herald, Julian Miles QC, told Justice Peters the media would be seeking costs.

Now that the election is finished I guess all the loose ends have to be tidied up.  But I still wonder who funded Slater’s representation.  And what happened to the information that the media received from Rawshark but which has not appeared in any further articles.

The media response to this latest development is interesting.  The story was covered by Radio New Zealand and referred to by Radiolive in this short headline.  But I have not been able to find any mention of it on the websites of TV3, Stuff or the Herald.

I know there is this idea amongst some within the MSM that since National won and the election is over dirty politics is all old news.  But the whole episode disclosed a previously secret organised system of behaviour which should not be tolerated in a democracy.  If we are to have a properly functioning democracy then these stories need to be investigated and reported.

71 comments on “Slater capitulates ”

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  1. Tom Gould 1
    30 September 2014 at 8:49 am

    I look forward to the MSM outlets involved now publishing the information, in the public interest. They had a field day with deeply personal information on Len Brown, almost destroying his family and career. Maybe the rules have changed, now that the boot is on the other foot?

  2. lurgee 2
    30 September 2014 at 8:52 am

    The move means the undertaking by the media not to publish Mr Slater’s emails containing personal information is no longer in force.

    I actually feel sorry for the hypocritical psychopathic moron. He’s going to get his arse nailed to the wall over this, if What I Suspect turns out to be true.

    Farrar, the ‘Princess Party’ pimp and procurator, may also be in for a pretty thin time and, hopefully, will find his visits to The Panel rather more infrequent.

    Though I’d rather they didn’t actually smear the sewage all over the front pages. It’s a choice between more salacious tat, pron masquerading as journalism, or a move away from that sort of freakshow.

    • mickysavage 2.1
      30 September 2014 at 8:57 am

      The media said they would never use the personal information and I support their stance on this. The political stuff however is in an entirely different category.

      • lurgee 2.1.1
        30 September 2014 at 10:12 am

        I thought the agreement not to use the personal stuff was part of the deal stuck to allow them interim access to the political material? If that agreement is nullified, then they are free to use the personal sleaze.

        Anyway, the original agreement, whether it stands or not, was not to use “any strictly personal details in the material which is not in the public interest.” and at least some of it will be relevant to the political material. Pointing out that someone is a hypocrite, indulging in the sort of behaviours he/she lambasts others for, or that the Young Nationals is basically a brothel run for the benefit of National Party sleazebags, could certainly be in the public interest. And if you are going to break stories like that, you have to name names to avoid hurting the innocent.

        Though, like I said, I hope they are restrained. Turning the press into a sewer of sexual titillation and mealy-mouthed half truths would be a strategic victory for Whaleoil.

      • Northshoreguynz 2.1.3
        30 September 2014 at 6:28 pm

        During war, you use every available weapon. If personal details are a weapon, use them. He tried to destroy the left, why are we playing nice?

        • infused 2.1.3.1
          30 September 2014 at 9:38 pm

          This is why the ‘left’ keep losing. Did you learn nothing from .com?

          • One Anonymous Bloke 2.1.3.1.1
            30 September 2014 at 9:52 pm

            I learned that the National Party’s policy of importing rich people on the basis of their wealth is guaranteed to lower New Zealand ethics ages ago. Didn’t need Dotcom to confirm that: Maurice Williamson was more than enough.

        • lurgee 2.1.3.2
          30 September 2014 at 11:28 pm

          Because it advantages them to play nasty. Simon Lusk explained that in Dirty Politics. Negative campaigning drives down turnout and favours the right. that’s why he thinks it is a viable strategy.

    • Tom Jackson 2.2
      30 September 2014 at 9:34 am

      Farrar, the ‘Princess Party’ pimp and procurator, may also be in for a pretty thin time and, hopefully, will find his visits to The Panel rather more infrequent.

      You think so? I think that the emails won’t be touched, just as Jason Ede seems to have mysteriously vanished from reality. Farrar and the other members of the kiwiocracy will continue to be invited on panels no matter what the rest of us think, just because.

    • SHG 2.3
      30 September 2014 at 2:13 pm

      Farrar, the ‘Princess Party’ pimp and procurator

      Whoa, back on up – are you saying you actually BELIEVED that bit in Dirty Politics?

      Wow.

      • lurgee 2.3.1
        30 September 2014 at 2:29 pm

        Are you suggesting Hager invented it and the discussion never took place? That’s a rather bold assertion!

        Or that the two unnamed individuals quoted invented the ‘Princess party’ and fantasized about getting jiggy with lots of drunken Young Nat women?

        Or – slightly more likely – there really was a party and it was used by certain unnamed individuals to hump around frenetically?

        Even if it is just stupid male braggadocio, it still tells you a bit about the attitude of some people in the National Party.

        • Tracey 2.3.1.1
          30 September 2014 at 2:45 pm

          but did the reported discussion actually include farrar as a participant. i am no fan but am pretty sure people were discussing the farrar party not anything farrar had said.

          • lurgee 2.3.1.1.1
            30 September 2014 at 4:21 pm

            The participants were not identified. I did not say that Farrar was one of them. He is identified as the person organising the event. Who coined the term ‘Princess party’ is not stated.

            • Tracey 2.3.1.1.1.1
              30 September 2014 at 4:34 pm

              what you wrote was

              “…Farrar, the ‘Princess Party’ pimp and procurator, ”

              that suggested you though farrar was a pimp and procurator?

              • SHG …
                30 September 2014 at 10:08 pm

                Farrar was a guest at a party the weekend of William and Kate’s wedding, hence a “Princess” theme. He wasn’t an organiser or the host. Hager really really wanted him to be though, so that’s the narrative invented for Dirty Politics.

                Farrar blogged and posted pictures of it online. Sounded like a bunch of polsci nerds arguing about republicanism. Somehow that makes Farrar a “pimp and procurator”?

                • lurgee …
                  30 September 2014 at 11:44 pm

                  that suggested you though farrar was a pimp and procurator?

                  Guess what? When I posted, “I actually feel sorry for the hypocritical psychopathic moron. He’s going to get his arse nailed to the wall over this,” I didn’t really think Slater would literally be getting his arse nailed to the wall! There’s this thing called metaphor, you see, and … oh, never mind.

                  Farrar was a guest at a party the weekend of William and Kate’s wedding, hence a “Princess” theme. He wasn’t an organiser or the host. Hager really really wanted him to be though, so that’s the narrative invented for Dirty Politics.

                  I think that interpretation comes from Mr Farrar himself, doesn’t it? He claimed the line, “Apparently Pinko is the main driving force behind the Princess party” is ironic, with the two gentlemen discussing the event scoffing at the idea. Though there doesn’t seem to be any reason not to take it at face value there’s nothing to indicate irony or humour around the idea of Farrar organising the event.

                  Maybe, to those that know him, Farrar organising a party is inherently funny? Though the subsequent posts between the gentlemen in question don’t really suggest much in the way of Wildean wit.

                • Tracey …
                  1 October 2014 at 8:42 am

                  you havent read it then. i did and he did NOT create that narrative, he was clear that farrar hosted and invited the kind of people who were, as he put it, pimps and procutators. Just as he NEVER wrote that hide had been bribed to resign, that was a media deliberate misinterpretation, or reading comprehension issues, amongst journos.

      • Murray Olsen 2.3.2
        1 October 2014 at 2:32 am

        Yes, I believed it. It has the smell of truth. Farrar is really not a very nice guy at all. I won’t be surprised if he ends up in court one day on embarrassing charges. I have seen so many supposedly respectable young Tories acting exactly in the princess party style. On the other hand, I have never seen Nicky Hager make stuff up.

    • Gosman 2.4
      1 October 2014 at 3:23 am

      Why would David Farrar have anything to worry about in relation to this? There is no indication of any personal information about him being in the hacked e-mails.

      • lurgee 2.4.1
        1 October 2014 at 5:21 pm

        I think he’s been shown to be a shifty enough character and too closely associated with some truly reprehensible people, to be given space on public media to promote himself. At least, if the people in charge of Radio NZ had any courage or integrity. But I’m beginning to wonder about that.

  3. fambo 3
    30 September 2014 at 9:13 am

    Lauda Finem has been closely following the court case between Cameron Slater and Matthew Blomfield. It seems to be quite closely intwined with other activities of Slaters and is worth keeping up with in tandem with developments regarding the Dirty Politics revelations

    http://laudafinem.com/category/lauda-finem-investigates/

  4. philj 4
    30 September 2014 at 9:22 am

    Why does this remind me of the accountability and justice(?) of the Pike River tradegy?

  5. Bruce 5
    30 September 2014 at 9:56 am

    The country just recjected the real dirty politics on September 20th. The country didn’t fall for the green/hager/labour/dot com hit job of “Dirty Politics” so the fact that you labfans after facing an enormous crushing on the 20th of election still want to beat this dead horse …

    • MrSmith 5.1
      30 September 2014 at 10:14 am

      Gloat all you like Bruce, oh you forgot “left wing Conspiracy”. Now run along Bruce the rest of the sheep getting ahead.

      • Bruce 5.1.1
        30 September 2014 at 11:07 am

        You represent the Labour Party arrogance and narcissism well, “sheep” because I didn’t vote your way. All I have heard from labfans since September 20 is how stupid the country is, how the country if full of sheep, people are happy to be lied to, key stole the election etc etc etc. Is there any of you on here that is not so detached from reality and so wrapped up and consumed in your own little labour bubble that you realise your party needs drastic change, worst result in 90 years but of course it is everyone elses fault rather than your own huh …

        • ghostwhowalksnz 5.1.1.1
          30 September 2014 at 12:44 pm

          You forget it wasnt as bad as nationals 20.5% result in 2002.

          Zoomed back the next election to with a whisker of winning I remember, Bill English is still around ……. forget what he is doing now ?

        • Minarch 5.1.1.2
          30 September 2014 at 3:14 pm

          had to be a “bruce” right ,

          or maybe a “wayne” would have done ..

          nugget…

        • MrSmith 5.1.1.3
          30 September 2014 at 7:01 pm

          Bruce I hate to break this to you but I haven’t voted for Labour since Lange was Leader, but Bruce as I was writing that I couldn’t help thinking of Fred Dagg and this Bruce https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMafuYWEuEU

    • lurgee 5.2
      30 September 2014 at 10:15 am

      Regardless of political persuasion, if you aren’t deeply concerned by the issues raised in the book – the abuse of power, cronyism, the way industry propaganda is presented as honest opinion, the industry funded and industry written attacks on academic and scientific criticism of big business, the deliberate lying, the trial by media rumour, the the relentless trolling for sexual misconduct in place of reasoned critique, then you’re a fool.

      You can be a National supporter and still be disgusted by what Slater and his ilk are doing to your party.

      • framu 5.2.1
        30 September 2014 at 10:28 am

        thats the bit i find really weird –

        What does it say about your politics that you need to use such tactics and methods for so long to win and keep the treasury benches?

        Surely if you believe in your ideas you would argue those not attack people via proxies

        “you” isnt lurgee here

        • lurgee 5.2.1.1
          30 September 2014 at 11:19 am

          The Hollow Men was dedicated to the ‘Principled consevatives in the New Zealand National Party.’ That book was based on information leaked from sources within National, who were repelled at the direction the party was taking / bitter about how they had been treated by Brash and his rightwing ACT infiltrators.

          So they existed, those principled Nats, a decade ago. Where are they now? What happened to them? Why have they been silent about the way the party has been Slaterised?

          • Tracey 5.2.1.1.1
            30 September 2014 at 2:48 pm

            hager acknowledge national party staffers in his acknowledgements, so collins and key havent quite got rid of all the good nats… yet.

      • Draco T Bastard 5.2.2
        30 September 2014 at 2:19 pm

        You can be a National supporter and still be disgusted by what Slater and his ilk are doing to your party.

        No, actually, they can’t – they’re hardwired to support everything that their leaders do no matter how wrong it is.

      • GregJ 5.2.3
        30 September 2014 at 10:41 pm

        If I was a National party member I’d be pretty pissed off at the blatant & disgusting manipulation of the candidate selection process as well.

        ACTually if you were an ACT member you should be disgusted at the blackmail of Hide over the leadership (that’s if ACT was actually a party with any members – it seems thay are so so enamoured of teapots that nowadays their party conferences can actually fit into a downtown cafe).

    • yeshe 5.3
      30 September 2014 at 10:21 am

      Bruce ? is that you Jason ?

    • travellerev 5.4
      30 September 2014 at 10:23 am

      Wish I could put the picture of John Key here that went along with this golden one:

      “Look, what I can tell you, at the end of the day, exposing our right wing smear campaign was CLEARLY a left wing smear campaign”

      Here is the link to the original.

    • framu 5.5
      30 September 2014 at 10:24 am

      did you ever complain about “nanny state” bruce?

    • Naki man 5.6
      30 September 2014 at 11:19 am

      Bruce when labour gets less than 20% of the vote in 2017 these clowns will blame the media, they just don’t get it.

      • Bruce 5.6.1
        30 September 2014 at 11:39 am

        Yes it will be the fault of the “right wing media” despite the fact that the media had wall to wall coverage of Dirty Politics. John Campbell dedicated show after show to trying to bring down John Key and you had Paddy Gower and Corin Dann repeatedly stressing about Dirty Politics and Key can’t get in without Winston the kingmaker etc etc etc etc It’s amazing that instead of trying to work why NZ rejected their party so much they blame the media and then call the majority of the country stupid and sheep

        • framu 5.6.1.1
          30 September 2014 at 12:28 pm

          what the pair of you dont get is that its not a binary thing

          a lot of us blame the labour party as much as the media – were not so monochrome as to insist on the bad result being one thing or the other

          and bruce – you just keep on proving youve got no idea how the media works, and has behaved for the last 6 years

        • GregJ 5.6.1.2
          30 September 2014 at 11:42 pm

          Perhaps this from the Daily Blog might help you see just how much the media didn’t really cover the Dirty Politics issues at all. There are some serious questions that continue to remain unanswered – and they are fundamental to our democracy and the conduct of government.

    • Kelly-Ned 5.7
      30 September 2014 at 2:10 pm

      You neo-liberals amaze me.
      How can you so blindly support a regime founded upon lies and deception?
      In any other career lies would lead to ‘job gone by lunchtime’. But with the PM position you are okay with lies and deceit.
      How can that be? Where is the logic?
      Please explain it to me because my sense of logic says only thoroughly ethical, moral people should ever be allowed to lead – in any role.

  6. ianmac 6
    30 September 2014 at 9:57 am

    Rawshark said I think that there was nothing more of note in the final release of documents. All the “best” bits were already either in the book or in public domain.
    Wonder if Key will continue to be Slater’s best friend given that Slater is unscrupulous and he knows stuff about Key’s involvement in dirty tricks.

    • yeshe 6.1
      30 September 2014 at 10:28 am

      Ian, with respect, I don’t recall Rawshark saying exactly that. I think those are comments later from Nicky Hager. Logically, if Rawshark believed that, why did he hand the material on to media, especially with the admonition he could return, if necessary …

      I think there is much to come, but will it ?

      • William 6.1.1
        30 September 2014 at 11:02 am

        Keith Ng’s most recent post (Sept 24) at Public Address has a quite specific comment from Russel Brown on page 3 of the comments. He says;

        “The next story you see from Matt Nippert will build on his really good work on the way Slater et al (and possibly Collins) tried to undermine financial regulators, and will include new information brought to him as a result of that story. That definitely won’t go away. Although I think it’s time for the police to say something about the status of David Parker’s criminal complaint over that and other matters.

        Likewise, David Fisher also has more material and anyone who knows Fish knows that he’ll write that story when he’s ready. I suspect there are quite a few OIA requests in the system right now.

        Everyone had assumed that if Mediaworks had unpublished Rawshark material it would be with Gower, but I wonder if it’s actually with Campbell Live, who are currently being dicked around by Judith Collins’ (former) office on an OIA request for correspondence between Collins and Slater.

        So stuff’s going on and journalism’s being done.”

        I think it’s good that material in addition to Rawshark’s is being pursued before publication.

        • yeshe 6.1.1.1
          30 September 2014 at 11:09 am

          thank u William, inspiring to read; and yes, +1 on the Campbell Live theory.

          Here’s hoping Beverly Wakem (Ombudsperson) follows through her promise to investigate both obstructions and ‘speed-bump’ removals in OIA process.

          (I see Jarred Savage has just received his OIA requests from the Williamson Liu debacle .. so convenient until after the election of course.)

        • ghostwhowalksnz 6.1.1.2
          30 September 2014 at 12:33 pm

          Journalism being done . really? as long as Russel Brown is fluffing the pillows a sure sign that it will all be forgotten 3 days after its published.

          Remember Roastbusters ? Yep another big story that is ‘somehow’ on hold ?

        • veutoviper 6.1.1.3
          30 September 2014 at 2:31 pm

          Thanks for referring to the discussions etc on PA, William. I have been following the discussions on there as to whether things are going on behind the scenes on the last dumps by Rawshark – and my impressions (or maybe hopes) are that we have not seen the last of exposure of these.

          However, things may well have been complicated by the legal action by Slater which have now largely be concluded (other than costs LOL).

          Another aspect I have seen raised as to the delay is the need to be absolutely watertight in any further public articles re the Rawshark material, ad to have this backed up by information gleened from other sources such as OIAs.

          Matt Neppert of Fairfax was one of the journalists in contact with Rawshark and wrote the Fairfax articles on his revelations. Matt was on the Panel on Friday, 19 Sept and said that he had given in his notice to Fairfax earlier that week and had accepted an exciting new job starting on 20 October. This is in the link below from 00.30 to 02.30 and includes a short discussion on Rawshark and his/her identity (an interesting discussion on OIAs then follows).

          http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thepanel/audio/20150319/the-panel-with-matt-nippert-and-bryce-edwards-part-1

          My understanding from things I have read elsewhere is that Matt is going to The Herald. He and David Fisher working on the Rawshark dumps would be a formidable team IMHO. So I have not given up hope.

          PS – Matt has been asked on Twitter about further revelations and has said very little other than the situation is very complicated.

    • travellerev 6.2
      30 September 2014 at 11:54 am

      There are non so enslaved as those who think they are free. Oh and no, I’m not a Labour voter. That would be just as stupid under the current circumstances

  7. travellerev 7
    30 September 2014 at 10:12 am

    Here is a short video about a German journalist who wrote a tell all book about how the German News is bought and paid for by the CIA. Now I am not suggesting the CIA manipulates our News but if you think the MSM will use the information to do some serious damage to John Key and his hideous minions I suggest you watch that video and maybe look for the book: Bought Journalism, currently number 7 on the best sellers list in Germany.

    With Slater’s financial connection (Paid trips to Israel recently) to the Likud party and the payola he receives for writing the way he does my guess is he is very much part of the MSM News machine or as the writer of the book described just a paid NATO propaganda outlet.

    The MSM in my estimation will not touch him nor John Key. The PTB need them to much to implement the TPPA, NATO’s empire building and more global mayhem connecting to NZ.

    But conspiracies? Neh, never! Our government loves us!

  8. travellerev 8
    30 September 2014 at 11:29 am

    Powers That Be, the rogue state withing the state, deep politics, the wheelers and dealers in the back rooms.

  9. travellerev 9
    30 September 2014 at 11:31 am

    But that’s just conspiracy theories cause they don’t exist. Our government loves us and doesn’t represent the 1% but us the people in “real’ world! That is why we all have the feeling they really listen to us after we voted them in!

  10. Puckish Rogue 10
    30 September 2014 at 12:17 pm

    Once the wars been won why worry about a minor battle? But seriously by doing this means it’ll be finished sooner so get it over and done with, like pulling a plaster really

  11. infused 11
    30 September 2014 at 9:27 pm

    Probably because the Labour leadership farce is far more interesting at the moment.

  12. sir pat 12
    1 October 2014 at 10:38 am

    anything barring wife and kidz should be used from these hacked e mails…..i am sure a lot of the “personal” e mails will give credence to Slaters “form” and give more punch to those untangling the web of lies and collusion he is mixed up in.

    the MSM is bought and paid for…. they are mostly blatantly right wing and anyone who says otherwise should be barred from voting on the grounds of stupidity…..i have been stunned at the lack of reaction from the public in many instances and whenever there has been a slight interest the story dissapears…..i think N.Z is on the cusp of joining the rest of the world allright…..t.v and internet lives….the kardasians rule!!!…..give it time and it will be real life Hunger Games

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