Posts by Pete George
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Hard News: We can do better than this, in reply to Gavin White,
This ‘they all do it’ cop out is getting beyond a joke – there just isn’t an equivalent to Slater on the left.
No there's not an equivalent, but there's plenty of try hards. For instance:
http://thestandard.org.nz/no-changes-for-kiwiblog/#comment-869553 -
Hard News: We can do better than this, in reply to Russell Brown,
It's good that finally someone from the National Cabinet has spoken up against 'acting that way' - some more takes on it from Twitter:
Bill English visibly uncomfortable today answering questions #dirtypolitics allegations, partic those regarding Judith Collins.
English [on Collins giving Simon Pleasants' name to WO]: “That’s a style of politics, it’s not a style I like and I don’t participate in it”.
Bill English says it is not the sort of politics he engages in.
Bill English does not condone attack politics outlined in Nicky Hager’s book but won’t be drawn on whether Judith Collins should face consequences.Key has probably judged correctly that outside the political bubble most people don't know and/or don't care, but he may have misjudged how the toxicity could grow.
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Media are in a very difficult position on this. Some of what Slater does and some of what he posts is genuinely newsworthy. Journalists can't rule out reporting on or using as a source certain people or certain publications, shows or social media because, for example, someone associated openly admits to enjoying practicing dirty politics.
What I think media has to do is take a more eyes wide open and balanced approach. And not feed the dirt mongering by giving them non-news pulpits.
The thing is that the nature of Slater was well known to anyone who has taken a decent look at what he does over the years. Sure some of the emails give some specific examples new examples.
I haven't been shocked about what has been revealed. I'm shocked that media haven't already noticed and covered many other examples, and that they have given him so much of a megaphone to promote his agendas.
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Hard News: Dirty Politics, in reply to The Ruminator,
The only person I've seen who seems to have had revealed prior knowledge of the book is Martyn Bradbury.
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Slater claims to have had email contact with people in Labour as well. None of this is apparently disclosed in the book.
Of course, he is very selective at only highlighting my communications with the National Party.
He seems to have avoided the leaks and contacts I have with Labour and others.
http://www.whaleoil.co.nz/2014/08/love-smell-napalm-morning/
(I totally disagree with accepting his statement on dirty politics, it shouldn't be necessary or tolerated).Did Hager ignore any correspondence between Slater and people from other parties? Or was this all filtered before he got the data?
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Hard News: Not doing justice, in reply to Craig Ranapia,
At least in my book, that’s beyond “hoons being hoons”.
There's another problem with just accepting “hoons being hoons”. And accepting "Winston will be Winston" and "it's just how Question Time is".
In an age where we seem to be making progress in promoting non-acceptance of violence and rape - we have mostly moved on from "it's just a domestic" - why should we accept destructive and abusive behaviour from politicians and political activists as just it's how we do politics?
It's hypocritical of Whale Oil to complain about damage when Slater's one of the worst offenders in a corrosive political culture, but making excuses for it here and resorting to the same old diversionary attacks does nothing to address the problem with our politics - more and more people are turned off but those perpetuating it just seem to be getting worse.
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Hard News: Not doing justice, in reply to Sofie Bribiesca,
I thought Laila Harre said on Breakfast that Dotcom was doing a good job promoting youth getting out to vote,
Maybe it's working in some parts of the country but notable at the Internet-Mana meeting in Dunedin last night was the lack of youth - on stage and in the audience.
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Hard News: Not doing justice, in reply to Deborah,
That's interesting Deborah. In Palmerston North a dick on a John Key billboard and boobs on a Labour billboard. That's the same themes on the National and Labour billboards in Dunedin.
Maybe it's just a coincidence of hoons.
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Hard News: Not doing justice, in reply to giovanni tiso,
It’s honestly one of the funniest things I’ve read all year. A billboard was defaced, it must have been the people who put up the next billboard along!
Context matters - at the same time some Greens were bragging via Facebok at similar billboard vandalism in the same electorate.
At the time there were three billboards up on that site, National, Green and Labour. And the day afterwards the Labour billboard (with Cunliffe on it) was also similarly vandalised.
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Hard News: Not doing justice, in reply to Paul Campbell,
I think this guilt by association you are trying to tar the Greens with says more about your personal politics than any reality
Green suporters tarred themselves, posting proof of vandalism on Facebook, as reported by ODT and seemingly as accepted by Metiria.