Kiwiblog

Busted Blonde has a great scoop. She has found out two Radio NZ staff members are being sponsored by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting agency to attend some sort of broadcasting event in Iran.

So taking money from evil capitalist businesses in New Zealand is wrong, but from the Iranian Government (a known bastion of free speech) is fine.

The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting agency is the man who told the world press last July that videos of Neda Agha-Soltan’s death were fakes manufactured by the BBC and CNN.

UPDATE: In a comment below, Radio NZ says the staff are not representing Radio NZ, and that they would not attend if the IRIBA had invited them directly but somehow it is okay because it is through the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. What is not yet clear is who is paying for the travel – IRIBA or the APBU, and also whether the staff are being paid to attend, or taking unpaid or annual leave]

At the weekend, headed up to Busted Blonde’s rural retreat in Wairarapa. Was a very pleasant day with lobster and sausages and some nice lamb chops which up until around three hours before dinner was prancing around the paddock. Always a bit weird to eat something that you have seen alive just before dinner!

Busted had her parents and son, with her and her Aussie Rock. Lots of fun conversation. One hilarious part was when these was a discussion of her son’s exes, and I suggested maybe one could discuss Busted’s exes instead. Her son piped up that he had a poor attention span so didn’t think he could pay attention to the entire list. Busted’s yells of protest about not saying mean things about her in front of her mum didn’t have much effect – I even got a reference to the Green Parrot in there.

Anyway the highlight came after dinner, where her Aussie Rock proved he was as good with his hands as he is with his …. mind. He brought out his miniature plane which he had made.

I had wondered what the strip of lawn was for in the middle of the paddock. Now I knew – a runway. And along it goes.

And we have takeoff. The plane had great lift – not quite a harrier, but could climb quite dramatically when needed.

The plane could go up hundreds of metres easily. It was damn fast also – I’d say it could give a car a good run for its money. I’m not sure what the range is, but it looked to me that it could get up to a km or so away without difficulty.

And it successfully lands again.

I really enjoyed the drive to and from the Wairarapa. The traffic was light and got over the Rimutakas in under 20 minutes. There are so many great rural roads out there, that at some stage I want to spend a few days there just exploring the more remote areas.

Roar Prawn is predicting a major fight ahead over the ETS:

There’s a six billion fight over the ETS about to blow up. That’s how much Maori-owned forestry land has been devalued by the ETS. …

Select Committee could get very messy.

I wasn’t planning to comment more on this case until sentencing but Roar Prawn blogs:

Yip it true. We have just been watching the Weatherston piece on TV3 60 Minutes. It was okay till they got to the bit where the reporter revealed she had been given permission to visit Weatherston in Jail. …

Weatherston should not have had that opportunity. Corrections has done the country a disservice for allowing the interview to go ahead.

If Roar Prawn is correct and Corrections allowed TV3 to have access to Weatherston (even if it was not filmed), then the Minister still has some culture change challenges ahead.

UPDATE: I have heard from a reliable source that it appears the TV3 reporter posed as a friend of Weatherston’s when she visited in March and April. This is a breach of Corrections Department rules if she did, as media are meant to identify themselves. I hope TV3 comment on whether or not they broke the rules to gain access?

Somewhat ironically (in terms of timing), tonight there is a function to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Ngai Tahu settlement. I was very pleased to be invited, but sadly have a clash as I also have the AGM of the Institute of Directors tonight.

Ngai Tahu have achieved some great things with their settlement, and are a real economic powerhouse. However, as with any group, they are not immune from infighting and this current bout appears to be quite bad. It will be a shame if it detracts from their considerable achievements.

The Herald reports on the latest episode, being some impolite e-mails from Ngai Tahu Chair Mark Solomon, which have upset some in his local runanga.  Solomon may not survive, due to anger at the sacking of Wally Stone who chaired the Holding Corporation.

Busted Blonde at Roar Prawn, who is Ngai Tahu, has been covering the issues in depth – she is firmly in the camp calling for Solomon to go.

Of a different view is Richard Parata – a former Director of Ngai Tahu Holdings Corporation. He responds to BB here.

1. Busted Blonde has a post on domestic violence and how she spent several years in an abusive relationship. Go read it, and make sure you show it to any friends who need to read it.
2. Adam Smith blogs on the Giles cartoons. As a child I loved Giles cartoons, and every year could not wait for the annual. Grandma was my favourite character. For those who never saw them, you missed out on classics.
3. Matthew Hooton makes the case for an Upper House.
4. Steven Price reviews two decisions by the Advertising Standards Authority.
5. Matt Nolan wants some better statistics from the Government.

Roar Prawn blogs:

The money markets are chattering over the Mexican stand off with the Big Banks who have, in an unprecedented move joined forces to talk turkey with Treasury, over the deposit guarantee scheme. The Banks want some changes. Treasury is staring them down. The banks are staying firm – they want changes to clauses they think could give non banking institutions an advantage.

Could get interesting.

I am totally unsurprised by the outcome of the Serious Fraud Office inquiries into the Spencer Trust. And the outcome is in no way a clearance or an exoneration. What it says is laws have been broken, but not fraud laws.

NZ First’s failure to obey the electoral laws of New Zealand is what made the investigation occur. Because the public facts were that Bob Jones had stated he had made a $25,000 donation intended for NZ First, through the Spencer Trust, and the NZ First Party had filed a donations return saying it had not received any donations in 2005 of over $10,000. To quote the SFO:

There were two competing explanations for how this could be.

1. The Spencer Trust never passed the money onto NZ First, which would be possibly fraudalant
2. The Spencer Trust did pass the money onto NZ First, and NZ First filed a false electoral donations return

No 2 was always far more likely. And thanks to the SFO investigation we now know this is true. In fact we know that NZ First has filed a series of false returns, as has Winston Peters personally, and Peters has lied on multiple occassions about these returns, including giving false information to the Privileges Committee.

This is no case of an accidential omission on a return, due to Mrs Muggins the branch secretary. This was a strategy signed off by the Leader. Let us look at the multiple false returns and statements:

1. A false donations return for 2005
2. A false election expenses return for 2005
3. A false donations return for 2007
4. A false return on the Register of Pecuniary Interests for 2006 (Payment of debt to Bob Clarkson for Peters)
5. A false return on the Register of Pecuniary Interest for 2006 (Payment of debt to David Carter for Peters)

Now these are not just mistakes or errors. Only because of the SFO investigation has this come to light. And it gets even worse. Most semi-honest people would, once they had been caught out, would at least reveal all. But no Peters does not.

He was instructed by the House of Representatives to file amended pecuniary interest returns for 2005, 2006 and 2007. And all he did was amend them to include the two donations that had already been publicly forced out (Owen Glenn and Spencer Trust for Clarkson) but he didn’t declare the $13,640.37 the Spencer Trust paid on his benhalf to David Carter in 2006. These are the actions (assuming Weekend Herald is correct) of a pathological liar, not a cleared man.

And on that issue, it sounds like Eye to Eye at 11.30 am on Sunday will be interesting watching as Matthew Hooton is on the panel with Peters as the guest. Quoting Roar Prawn:

TVNZ sources say that Willie Jackson’s Eye to Eye tomorrow will be one of the most fiery TV debating shows ever seen in New Zealand.

Winston fronted up to the Green Room, last night to tape the show that airs on 11.30 on Sunday on TVNZ, thinking he would be up for a cosy chat with his mates Barry Soper and Chris Trotter.

He was high on hearing that the SFO had dropped criminal charges, but he was less than impressed when he realised that Jackson had decided to replace Trotter with Matthew Hooton.

Hooton won’t talk about the encounter but BustedBlonde’s media sources say that Winston tried to bluff his way out of appearing with Hooton, . saying there was no way he was going to be with someone who called him a liar.

Before they even got on air, we understand Hooton then called him a liar, a crook and a lying c***t straight to his face.

Anyway, things didn’t get much better on air, and the air was so blue Jackson had to stop the pair at one stage and re- record the show.

Our sources say that Winston always wins these debates on points but Hooton had him on the ropes more than once refusing to kowtow to the liar (our words)

Our sources say it was one of the most brutal encounters they had ever witnessed on NZ television.

That is very typical of the mischievous Willie Jackson – invite Peters on and then have Hooton on also. Can’t wait to see it.

Roarprawn keeps mentioning Las Vegas a lot. Not quite sure why. Hopefully we will find out at some stage.