The Sunday News Roast
On the Sunday News Roast tonight at 7pm, Sky Digital 65, Alt Tvs News and weekend newspaper critique show that is Unfair & Unbalanced, THE SPIN STARTS HERE with the best political news team on television with your host, Bomber - head of Current Affairs at Alt Tv, Blogger, Phoebe Fletcher from the Auckland University Film, Television and Media Studies department, Tim Selwyn - the last man to be convicted of sedition in NZ and Ben Thomas the Political Editor of the NBR.
News that caught the eye this week
1: The Polls, bad week for National, two polls released on the same day that cripple their lead to within striking distance. SNR has been predicting for some time that the National lead would never stand up beyond 45% at the most, the Greens are the dark horses with the most effective billboard campaign and a weak Labour party. I still think National will get more votes on the night, but it will be up to Labour, the Greens and the Maori Party to prove they can put aside the bullshit and talk turkey, now because the Greens and the Maori Party HAVE NOT been talking about putting a legislative list to Labour to form a Government, the possibility of a Maori Party/National Party coalition can not be ruled out and is still a strong possibility, the only threat to that possible partnership are the National Party supporters themselves.
2: The global meltdown – who would’ve thought unregulated corporate greed using Enron-esq finacial structures would hurt anyone? With the corporate meltdown who will NZers turn to? In America the champions of capitalism who have always attacked Government intervention ran screaming to the Government as soon as their toy popped. In NZ will NZers turn to the Party that is all about Government intervention (Labour) or will they turn to the Party that makes love to the free market, the very same free market that has been so molested by corporate greed that it's exploded?
3: Guess who is back, back again, guess who is back, tell an old, old, old friend!
Winston gets cleared by the SFO on serious fraud, the cunning old sod is back, he will get over 5% and his reemergence will impact on the Greens and the Maori Party – if Labour can go with NZ First they will and Labour will sideline the Greens and the Maori Party once again unless the Greens and the Maori Party get together and thrash out a legislative list to present as a coalition into Government, those discussions between the Greens and the Maori Party are rumored to have ended abruptly when the Maori Party walked out after the Greens asserted that they would have problems working with National. What will Winston do now? Was it fair for National Party Svengali Matthew Hooten to call Winston a F###ing C### on Eye to Eye this morning?
4: Backlash to National Party tax policy and kiwisaver – mugging Peter to bribe Paul? Did working for families recipients expect to be treated with disdain from John Key? Did Kiwisaver participants think they would have their entitlements eroded? National has been roundly bashed by many across the Political spectrum for their policy which attacks savings, wipes out research and development all for only $15 extra a week?
5: Opening addresses by Labour and National this week, Labour’s was very strong, slick and put together in a way that only a 113% jump in communications consultants can achieve where as National’s opening address just had John Key in full cheese mode just hanging with old white NZers, there was no attempt what so ever to look broad, it was whiter and older than John McCain. National’s media this year from their appalling billboards to their beige bland opening address suggests a campaign machine that isn’t really up to campaigning, can National match the Labour Party machine on the day?
6: National released their law and order policy this week and it is so harsh it makes America look like the bastion of liberalism. National have done more to whip up hatred with Simon Powers trying to sell prison as some sort of three star hotel, so much so that when the anonymous postings on the Dominion Posts went pro death penalty this week they used Powers example of underfloor heating and wall mounted TVs as an excuse to go harder. When you flirt with ignorance and fear and anger the way National do it warps social policy, real political leadership on law and order pushes past hate - not add to it.
Colin Espiner on National’s Law and Order policy…
The implications of National’s new policy are considerable. At a stroke, National is essentially disestablishing nearly a hundred years of restorative justice and rehabilitation programmes that are now accepted as the norm in the corrections system.
Tapu Misa Misa on crime in NZ…
A 2003 survey of New Zealanders’ attitudes to crime and punishment showed that we tended to overestimate crime statistics and underestimate the lengths of prison sentences. Even as sentences have lengthened and our prison population has exploded (up around 70 per cent under Labour) and recorded crime has fallen (with the exception of violent crime), we have been convinced of the opposite.
Is a new half billion dollar prison really the solution within a system that locks people up forever?
In the Weekend Newspapers
STORY 1 – Undercover cop's lies sent 150 to jail - hos
Police have hired one of the country's top lawyers to investigate a former officer's stunning confession that he lied in court - and wrongfully sent at least 150 people to prison. Patrick O'Brien wrote to Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias admitting to perjury, saying he was racked with guilt after carrying a "dreadful secret" for more than 30 years. Now nearly 60, O'Brien was an undercover agent in covert drugs operations in the 1970s, immersed in a dark, criminal underworld, and the star Crown witness in the resulting court trials. However, O'Brien says he lied on oath every time he took the stand. In the confession letter, he said he could not guess the number of people with convictions or imprisoned "because of my lies", because he stopped counting arrests at 150, halfway through his three-year stint.
It’s not ‘get better work stories’ it’s ‘make up better work stories’ 150 people convicted because of one crooked undercover cop given the green light from his police handlers – can this be real? Patrick O’Brien was honored for his undercover work so the Police can’t write him off, how much credibility can the Police force lose?
STORY 2 – Private hospitals will `cream off' easiest work under Nat scheme - sst
THE NATIONAL Party plans a major shift towards private healthcare if elected to government. It plans to revive a version of its controversial 1990s free-market health reforms, which health experts say would undermine the public health system and lead to poorer-quality healthcare. The existence of the plans has been raised by the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, which represents senior public hospital doctors. Executive director Ian Powell said the association supported some of National's health policies but had serious concerns about "shifting funding to the private sector and destabilising public hospitals".
The difference between the leaked Health Policy that Trevor released last month and the official one released by the Nats was the building of 20 new 'clinic's’, why did National leave these new clinics out when they released their official Health Policy? What I've been saying is that these 20 new 'clinics' will be Nationals Public Private Partnership in health, these clinics will be built for the private health industry to use to take up the slack the public health service can't, so rather than invest in public health, National intend to feather the nests of private health.
STORY 3 – Early puberty causes school sex education 'national crisis' - sst
A top research scientist is calling for high-level action from schools and health authorities to help children cope with the early onset of puberty. "It's an emerging national crisis," says Liggins Institute director Professor Peter Gluckman. "How many people in this country are competent to talk to an eight or nine-old boy or girl about what's happening to their body? Most parents aren't, because they didn't go through puberty at that age, and teachers I meet, no matter how willing they are, admit they aren't prepared to deal with it." Gluckman, an expert in the implications of evolutionary biology for health, is calling on educators and health authorities to talk to psychologists and other experts to develop a comprehensive life skills programme for young people.
Only 50% of schools have a safe sex education policy because it is not compulsory within the curriculum, how are we going to discuss sexual healthy with children when we can’t do it with teenagers? WE have one of the worst sti rates in the OECD for teenagers, we have one of the worst teen pregnancy and abortion rates in the OECD, we are not doing anywhere near enough – why and who will turn it? Look at the level of fury closing a loophole that allowed parents to horsewhip their children for disciplinary reasons created, how would teaching your children sexual health in Primary School go down?
STORY 4 – Move to guaranteed bank deposits likely - sst
NEW ZEALAND is likely to follow Australia's lead and guarantee bank depositors' savings as the world financial crisis deepens. The Australian government will this week introduce a limited deposit guarantee scheme into parliament to cover deposits up to $20,000 following a frantic week where European governments dramatically increased their deposit guarantees and world sharemarkets plummeted. One Wellington political insider said New Zealand would almost certainly have to follow Australia in guaranteeing deposits. "You couldn't have an Australasian banking system with deposits guaranteed at one end and not the other."
Are we starting a panic by guaranteeing bank deposits? Is this enough to stop what the IMF are warning in the World section?
IMF: World on brink of financial collapse
The global financial system is on the brink of a systemic meltdown despite interventions by the US and Europe to stabilize markets, the head of the International Monetary Fund says. Even with unprecedented actions in major economies, including co-ordinated central bank rate cuts, IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn today said those measures had so far failed to calm the situation.
Ben Thomas your greedy corporate mates are to blame aren’t they or are they Phoebe Fletchers welfare buddies racking up mortgages they could never afford?
FINAL WORD – Didn’t Oliver silence his critics with Sunrise this week, James Coleman who? Oh and Obama will win the election in America, he leads in the electoral college vote and only another outright theft by the Republican Party similar to what they pulled in Florida 2000 will stop him turning the White house rainbow. The redemption of America is close at hand brothers and sisters (can I get an Amen!)
Lets be Frank 10pm tonight, Oliver Driver interviews Political Scientist Dr Raymond Miller from the University of Auckland and Media commentator Russell Brown from TVNZ7 Media about how the election and politics this year has been covered. Russell says Ben Thomas is one of the best commentators this year!
On Tuesday’s Let’s be Frank, 8.30pm a live panel discussion with the SNR following the National/Labour debate on TVNZ to get your first impression of how the two leaders fared against each other AND Wednesday 8pm Alt Tv hosts the minor party right of reply debate allowing the minor parties a voice when TVNZ and TV3 have done all they can to shut them out of the election debate.
Stay classy Alt-eroa, by popular demand here’s this weeks moment of media zen
posted by Bomber @ 1:06 pm
19 comments
19 Comments:
"It’s not ‘get better work stories’ it’s ‘make up better work stories’ 150 people convicted because of one crooked undercover cop given the green light from his police handlers"
Did you deliberately miss this passage
"He also deceived his operators, usually high-ranked detectives stationed in the communities where O'Brien operated undercover.
"Most of these men were tough (real tough) but without exception they were honest and would have brooked no time for the methods I employed to obtain convictions," O'Brien wrote"
The sunday roast is clearly living up to it's reputation as unbalanced, unfair and UNTRUE.
Bomber, I know that the prospect of police corruption stories gives you a three inch boner but try not to make it so easy to prove you're a lier or incompetent.
It's unbecoming.
last person to be done for sedition? national might get in, then it might be getting used quite regularly! off to the gulags!
"Look at the level of fury closing a loophole that allowed parents to horsewhip their children for disciplinary reasons created,"
Yet again Bobo illustrates why National is ahead.
When was the last time you actually stopped to ask the ordinary parent about this law.
Have you got any children bobo?
Are you even qualified to have a view on this law or do you know all about it from reading stuff on the internet.
Maybe you should step outside that hip little bubble that you and other intellgentsia media types inhabit because it appears that you haven't got a fucking clue about how real people think so why do you insist on speaking for them.
You might have Oliver ask that dipshit Ray Miller about his role in Paul Buchanan's dismissal, particularly his violation of the university's own rules about handling of complaints. It is rumored that Miller consulted with Sahar before rushing the complaint to the Dean and never once asked Paul about the circumstances surrounding the email exchange. Miller was also the one who attempted to construct a case of prior "incidents" with Paul when there were none, and he and the Dean were the ones who went around threatening other staff for writing a letter of support on behalf of Paul after he got axed. It is also claimed that as a Labour Party lackey Miller was on orders to look for opportunities to sack Buchanan because of the latter's criticism of Clark and co over the Zaoui case. All of this may or may not be true, but rather than listen to Miller talk his usual bullshit about the elections--his 3 yearly 15 minutes of fame--you guys might delve into the unethical academic practices that allow toads like Miller to get promoted while decent, honest and far superior lecturers like Buchanan get shot down over minor mistakes.
"It’s not ‘get better work stories’ it’s ‘make up better work stories’ 150 people convicted because of one crooked undercover cop given the green light from his police handlers"
Did you deliberately miss this passage
"He also deceived his operators, usually high-ranked detectives stationed in the communities where O'Brien operated undercover.
"Most of these men were tough (real tough) but without exception they were honest and would have brooked no time for the methods I employed to obtain convictions," O'Brien wrote"
The sunday roast is clearly living up to it's reputation as unbalanced, unfair and UNTRUE.
Bomber, I know that the prospect of police corruption stories gives you a three inch boner but try not to make it so easy to prove you're a lier or incompetent.
It's unbecoming.
Why do pro police people always get yucky and need to dicuss a persons penis? What has Bombers penis got to do with any of this? Anon, here you are having a go and yet you don't seem to have even read the article so desperate are you to jump to the defence of the Police and talk about peoples genitalia - are you a cop Anon? Are you? Did you not notice Anon the following from the very same article - In his confession, O'Brien told Dame Sian he answered to the "grey men" who trained him, on whose orders he lied to obtain the convictions at any cost. - who were the Grey Men Anon? Who were they? I know you want to defend the Police at all costs, even to the point of bringing in someones penis to try and make some point, but shouldn't you at least read the article before you suck up to the cops Anon? Shouldn't you Anon? Or are you just fixated on Bombers erection?
"Look at the level of fury closing a loophole that allowed parents to horsewhip their children for disciplinary reasons created,"
Yet again Bobo illustrates why National is ahead.
Another brave anonymous poster - Anon are you even aware of the case where the father got off after using a horsewhip on his 13 year old and that this legislation was to repeal that legislation you fucking moron and that it has been the spin of groups like 'Family Fist' and your good self that have deceived the people of NZ? Yes or no Anon, did a father get off his using a horse whip to discipline his 13 year old by using section 59 - yes or no Anon? What about your poster girl for the anti-smacking campaign who hogtied her teenager? You don't mention her much do you Anon?
DW
Obviously then the 390,000 people who signed the petition calling for a referendom like nothing better than to horsewhip their children for fun.
So here we have two examples of abuse which you extrapolate in a river abuse.
Yes, we're all deceived, that's it. JOh Key has deceived us all.
It's amazing the depths of contempt you have for the people of NZ. Stick with bobo and you'll be in good company assmunch.
PS Nice labelling of anyone who doesn't hold the same beliefs as you as christian extremist. With that attitude you'll make a lot of friends in life.
.... The redemption of America is close at hand brothers and sisters (can I get an Amen!) ...
Fuck me I can't believe people are still so naive as to believe in heroes and saviours. He is man not a god you moron. When will people learn.
How much do you really know about any of these humans. I recall Harold Wilson telling people years ago that, in reality, most things go on the same no matter who people vote for.
I wish him well and I wish the American people well. I hope the people who are cheering him now don't turn on him when they realise he is just a man full of foibles and faults - just like the rest of us.
PS: What are you personally going to do to help and support the cop who has blown the whistle - he, like all whistle blowers, will need all the support and help he can get, not talk from cowards who are to scared to get to close to the action. You will have forgotten all about him by tomorrow, sure you will use him to point score but you won't offer him any real help. He will be ruined in every sense while you, like all the other cowards, will look after number one and make excuses why you can’t do anything tangible for him – call someone else (call such and such they say – when you reply, they told me to call you, you are fobbed off and hung up on very quickly) is was usually happens when people look for real help. Talk is the cheapest thing on the planet, if you won’t help the guy shut you fucking mouth, leave him alone and stop using him for you own selfish ends.
If you are genuine (yeah right) donate some money for him to get representation and help.
PS: What are you personally going to do to help and support the cop who has blown the whistle - he, like all whistle blowers, will need all the support and help he can get, not talk from cowards who are to scared to get to close to the action. You will have forgotten all about him by tomorrow, sure you will use him to point score but you won't offer him any real help. He will be ruined in every sense while you, like all the other cowards, will look after number one and make excuses why you can’t do anything tangible for him – call someone else (call such and such they say – when you reply, they told me to call you, you are fobbed off and hung up on very quickly) is was usually happens when people look for real help. Talk is the cheapest thing on the planet, if you won’t help the guy shut you fucking mouth, leave him alone and stop using him for you own selfish ends.
If you are genuine (yeah right) donate some money for him to get representation and help.
These Pro Police types are weird aqrn't they - is it Bomber who lied in Court under Police Orders (the 'Grey Men'), was it Bomber who saw 150 convicted based on lies, was it Bomber who hid it for 30 years - no it wasn't yet these pro police types spend so much time throwing mud in their posts you'd think it was Bomber who had personally done all this - the attention needs to turn to the Police Department and those who allowed this to happen, I appreciate you want to attack Bomber because he points out things you find embarrassing, but really it's a bit desperate.
Nah we just want to hold him accountable to his claims and in this instance he is wilfully spreading misinformation by missing out crucial facts to fit his theory.
Nah we just want to hold him accountable to his claims and in this instance he is wilfully spreading misinformation by missing out crucial facts to fit his theory.
Please explain what it is that bomber is missing - your claim Anon Did you deliberately miss this passage
"He also deceived his operators, usually high-ranked detectives stationed in the communities where O'Brien operated undercover.
"Most of these men were tough (real tough) but without exception they were honest and would have brooked no time for the methods I employed to obtain convictions," O'Brien wrote"
when it has been pointed out already In his confession, O'Brien told Dame Sian he answered to the "grey men" who trained him, on whose orders he lied to obtain the convictions at any cost.
So Anon you are pretending not to have read that part and are simply trying to miss out crucial facst to fit your theory about Bomber?
DW
And you seem to be missing the part where he acknowledged that he deceived his operators whom he described as tough honest men.
All in all I think bomber is guilty of misrepresentation at most although he did do it wilfully.
PS can you fuck off now as we'd rather hear from bomber himself not a wannabe bumboy lackey.
Its not cops as such its whistle blowers I care about and worry for. They are always left isolated, broke and broken – many, maybe not in this case, need protection for themselves and their families. The soldier (and his family) who blew the whistle on Abu Grabe is in a protection program, he is under threat from death threats.
Corruption, in all its forms, prospers because, even when someone does speak out, the outcome is always the same, they are ruined, as a warning to anyone else thinking of speaking out, this outcome is totally supported by the courts of course. Anyone unfortunate enough to be innocent (especially in the civil courts) finds out the hard wat that the ‘system’ has nothing to do with right and wrong or truth and lies, its all about who has the most money, the side with the most money wins and that won’t be you, if you are offered a settlement, no matter how unfair and insulting – TAKE IT, better still keep you mouth shut, its not worth ruining your life for.
Today I saw a story about people (women in this case I believe, often is I notice. I saw another case recently involving one of the big drug firms, that was another brave woman, brave or stupid not sure which) who blew the whistle on Liebermann’s bank, they got fired of course, although in the US they were able to get to court and win a settlement, that is impossible in some countries including NZ. NZ does not belive in payouts, so ruining people is very cheap even in the unlikely event they ‘win’, always hollow vistorys, even if you win you lose, even if they (the big boys in suits) lose they always win.
I have seen stories from around the world not only in government employers but large corporations, where anyone who tells the truth is suddenly incompetent (even, on occasions, after many years of employment) gets fired, just a coincidence of course. Retribution and persecution always follows telling the truth.
The story of the woman who blew the whistle on the butcher in Bega is one of the most heartbreaking stories I have ever seen.
'Dr' Graham Parry in NZ should be in jail but he is still working as a consultant doctor, the women he killed and mutilated were very soon forgotten.
And you seem to be missing the part where he acknowledged that he deceived his operators whom he described as tough honest men.
I saw that, but you seem to have missed the part where he said he was run by the 'grey men' who were the Grey Men Anon? The Grey Men were his Police handlers, not the operators he worked with, sure PC Plod at the local branch was honest enough, what about thiks guys boss? You have refused to even agree that is what has happened so selective you are tryiong to be.
All in all I think bomber is guilty of misrepresentation at most although he did do it wilfully.
Bullshit, look at what he posted It’s not ‘get better work stories’ it’s ‘make up better work stories’ 150 people convicted because of one crooked undercover cop given the green light from his police handlers – can this be real? Patrick O’Brien was honored for his undercover work so the Police can’t write him off, how much credibility can the Police force lose?
Where in this is he wilfully misleading people? Where, you are willfully misleading people, you not him and you make grubby comments about his penis.
PS can you fuck off now as we'd rather hear from bomber himself not a wannabe bumboy lackey.
Here we go again, when someone shows you up for the liar you are you get all 'bumboy' what is it with National supports and pro cop supporters that are so deeply in the closet, do you really have some sexual identity problems, why does it always revolve around bums and cocks for you boys? And why the fuck would Bomber even want to debate with someone so low as to use these types of attacks when the person is so obviously wrong?
DW
no it wasn't yet these pro police types
Sheesh, someone tries to point out that the Police force in NZ isn't corrupt, and out come the fuckwits who say the poster must be a cop, or comments above.
The defacto viewpoint in this country is that the Police force isn't corrupt, whereas you boys think that the consensus in NZ is that they are corrupt.
But, using your logic, if pointing this out makes you pro police, or a police officer, then you boys must be criminals trying to protect your way of life.
Why so many criminals on your blog bomber?
Why so many criminals on your blog bomber?
And I suppose using your logic, everyone in the following article who believe Patrick O'Brian is also a Criminal? Professor Optican is a criminal? the QC is a criminal? What about Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias? What I particularly like however is how someone who has used such homophobic language now trys to tell us that we've got him all wrong and that he really cares and that he's just trying to point out the NZ Police aren't corrupt.
Lawsuits may follow ex-cop's claim
A former undercover police officer's claims he deliberately gave false evidence could result in convictions being quashed, compensation granted and lawsuits taken against the Crown, one legal expert says.
University of Auckland law expert Associate Professor Scott Optican said criminal convictions could be overturned, depending on the importance of the evidence given at trial by former officer Patrick O'Brien.
The now 59-year-old Mr O'Brien infiltrated the shady world of drug dealers in the 1970s, later becoming a star witness for the Crown. But racked with guilt and a "dreadful secret" that has plagued him for the past 30 years, Mr O'Brien wrote to Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias admitting to perjury in the trials.
He claimed he lied every time he gave evidence while under oath and had been complicit in sending at least 150 people to prison.
Professor Optican - a former United States prosecutor - said recantations were not uncommon.
"But if a police officer gets up there and says, 'I did perjure myself', and has no motive to do it other than to come clean, then I would imagine an appellate court would give it some credibility - but I don't know the circumstances of his recantation."
He said in terms of civil compensation, ex-gratia payments were possible from the Crown if someone is able to prove themselves innocent and to have been wrongfully convicted.
"There may also be the possibility of a civil lawsuit by the defendant against the Crown on the basis of the police officer's intentional misconduct as an agent of the Crown," he said.
Wellington lawyer Bruce Squire, QC, who is investigating the allegations on behalf of the police, could not be contacted for comment last night.
But former undercover policeman turned Auckland criminal lawyer Tony Bouchier said the revelations weren't news to him, as Mr O'Brien had made the allegations on a television documentary, Going Under, which aired this year.
"I'm not sure if I'm surprised or not ... I don't know if it's as serious as what's alleged," said Mr Bouchier.
Asked if he thought there was any truth to Mr O'Brien's allegations, he said: "It's his experience, and I really can't say, but for me Paddy O'Brien is a man of his word and if he says it's happened, it's happened."
Mr Bouchier, who was in Sydney yesterday, said he was "not comfortable" speaking about the danger and long-term stress undercover police officers were exposed to.
But on the documentary he revealed he had lost close friends to the undercover programme and was "incredibly angry" the force had put him in danger of going "the other way". He said undercover agents he knew had gone to jail; others had beaten their wives or become alcoholics or drug addicts. "The work itself was nearly the end of me," he said.
In the documentary, Mr O'Brien said he resigned from the force "because basically I was a corrupt policeman". "Some of the things we did were totally unacceptable ... I had no right to be wearing that uniform."
In his letter he admitted to tampering with evidence and deceiving his operators, usually high-ranking detectives stationed in the communities where Mr O'Brien operated undercover.
DW
"Disgruntled Insider",
Loathe as I am to indulge pseudonymous blog-nerds, I can't allow your defence of Paul Buchanan to go unchallenged. Principally:
"Miller was also the one who attempted to construct a case of prior "incidents" with Paul when there were none..."
Mate, as a former student of Buchanan, I can assure you he had form. Certainly he was the only lecturer I've had who'd boast about how many men he's killed.
Peter:
Your claim that he boasted about killing people is rubbish. You have made similar claims in the media before, so what exactly is your beef with him? Or are you just a buddy of Ray Miller and/or Sahar? Best you go back to writing gossip trash in frivolous magazines rather than circulate falsehoods about someone you clearly have issues with. Maybe he flunked you. Maybe he critiqued your student work. That is no excuse for lying about him. What is true is that his departure has left the department in turmoil and students disadvantaged.
Can we leave this alone.
There was a thread a while back discussing this where sahar was throughly gangbanged.
Vicious stuff really.
I too was in his class (regime transition) and he never mentioned anything about killing anyone.
I'd say this claim is a lie but I'm no fan of the man either and this is just character assassination but hey, we're on tumeke so it's all good.
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