A quick response to Matthew Hooton
Thursday, May 30th, 2019I see Matthew Hooton has noted that I have acted for Nicky Hager and accused me of hypocrisy for suggesting that National broke the law with its budget leaks. He seems to think his logic is obvious. I guess it’s that Hager published confidential material leaked from the government (see especially: Other People’s Wars and […]
Budget leak: Nats’ behaviour “entirely appropriate”?
Wednesday, May 29th, 2019I’ve just been listening to Simon Bridges’ press conference at Parliament about the budget leak. His main point was to deny that the leaked budget material was a result of a hack. But he made the broader claim that the Nats’ behaviour throughout was “entirely appropriate”. He said there had been “nothing illegal or anything […]
Farewell Guyon
Tuesday, May 7th, 2019I’m sorry to see Guyon depart the presenter’s chair on RNZ’s Morning Report. I think he’s one of the best interviewers RNZ has ever had. He is well-informed, thoughtful and persistent. He consistently asks good questions and presses for answers. He is fearlessly independent. And I salute his use of te reo Maaori, which always […]
Whale Oil definitely Beef Hooked
Thursday, May 2nd, 2019Cameron Slater, aka Whale Oil, has never been a journalist in any sensible sense of the word. That’s despite the shameful Canon media award he received for wallowing in the sordid details of a mayoral affair. And it’s despite the High Court ruling that for the purposes of the Evidence Act, he could be treated […]
Censor right, but for the wrong reasons
Tuesday, April 30th, 2019You probably know that the censor has banned the Christchurch mosque shooter’s manifesto. That is, he has classified it as “objectionable” under our censorship laws. So it’s an offence to possess it, even on your computer screen. Journalists, academics, or anyone else who thinks they have a proper interest, can apply for an exemption. The […]
Hearing into Hit & Run book
Monday, November 19th, 2018The government inquiry set up to look at the allegations in Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson’s book “Hit & Run” is holding a public hearing this week. This particular hearing won’t go into the allegations themselves: it’s about the process for running the inquiry. How will it deal with confidential or classified information? (For example, […]
Privacy lecture coming up
Friday, November 17th, 2017Dr Nicole Moreham is giving a public lecture on privacy on November 28. She is the shit. Details below. Can we have some privacy? The last decade has seen an explosion in social media, intrusive technologies and media competition all of which are putting pressure on privacy like never before. In this talk, Victoria University’s […]
BSA and ASA to political parties: “sure, lie all you like”
Thursday, September 21st, 2017When I first saw the National Party’s blatantly misleading “Let’s Tax This” ad, I thought: the Advertising Standards Authority would have to uphold a complaint about this one. And if the ad is broadcast on TV or radio, the Broadcasting Standards Authority will have to as well. Not that I think that complaints against political ads […]
Scandalised by the Law Commission’s recommendation
Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017In my last post, I discussed the Law Commission’s report on contempt of court. I generally supported the recommendations. Here’s one I think they got wrong. The Commission proposes replacing what is now called “scandalising the judiciary” with a new, more limited, statutory offence. I think it should be scrapped altogether, as has been done in […]
The Law Commission reports on Contempt of Court
Wednesday, August 23rd, 2017A press conference ignored A press conference on the Todd Barclay affair rather gazumped the launch of the Law Commission’s report on contempt of court in June. No-one from the media turned up. That’s a shame, because the Commission is recommending some significant changes. Some notable recommendations In 2014, I commented on the Commission’s discussion paper, […]
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