Red Alert

Part 2 – Pacific media being silenced over PEDA

Posted by on June 17th, 2010

Below is a public statement that has been put out by Efeso Collins – the 531 PI radio announcer who has been taken off the Saturday morning breakfast show for asking too many questions about the Pacific Economic Development Agency:

Talofa friends and family

I am emailing to advise that I have been ‘rested’ from presenting Talanoa Pacific this weekend.

This morning I received an email from Pere Maitai, Programming Director at Radio 531PI, informing me that ‘serious matters’ had arisen since I last spoke with him 2 weeks ago and that I would be rested as a result from presenting this weekend.

I want you to know that up until his email, I have had no official information from him outlining any of the ‘serious matters’ he was referring to. Further, I have asked him to supply me with information on these matters and await a response.

I am astounded at this decision has been made without my consultation.

I am committed to ensuring the Pasifika people have a forum for open, honest and frank discussion. This is what underpins Talanoa Pacific.

I look forward to this matter being sorted soon and am seeking legal advice.

Since my last broadcast I have received wonderful support from friends, family and listeners. Please know that I sincerely appreciate the love and support that people have and continue to offer.

Soifua, Efeso Collins


42 Responses to “Part 2 – Pacific media being silenced over PEDA”

  1. Spud says:

    Creepy :evil:

  2. Anne says:

    It looks to me like bully-boy, stand-over tactics are being appied by the management of Radio 531PI. Not very clever in my humble opinion, because it can only alert people to the fact that something underhand is occurring.

  3. Joey Johns says:

    Unbelievable that we have draconian media sanctions in New Zealand imposed by an organisation which is financed out of public funding.

    This is not the first time it has happened and it smacks what is happening in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga…or have we imported media restrictions into New Zealand?

  4. DeepRed says:

    “I did not have commercial relations with that organisation.”

  5. David says:

    You say:”who has been taken off the Saturday morning breakfast show for asking too many questions about the Pacific Economic Development Agency:”

    Efeso says:” I have had no official information from him outlining any of the ’serious matters’ he was referring to. Further, I have asked him to supply me with information on these matters and await a response.”

    So where is the proof of your assertion?
    Looks like a presumptuous smear to me.

  6. Loota says:

    David, sorry I don’t understand from your post, who do you think is being smeared?

    Why isn’t this a ‘hypothesis which happens to fit the apparent events’ not a ‘smear?’

    You didn’t think that Efeso would receive a communique from management saying “You have been removed from you role for asking too many questions about PEDA” did you?

  7. Anne says:

    Oh dear. I meant to say applied” not appied @ 3:08pm. Probably obvious but just in case…

  8. Spud says:

    Somebody should be a pied in the face :P

  9. Ianmac says:

    I have read on the Standard that :”Funnily enough the man in charge of 531 pi is JR Pereira’s brother, Fa’amatuainu Tino Pereira, chair of the National Pacific Radio Trust.”
    http://www.thestandard.org.nz/who-is-jr/#comment-225889
    by Pollywog at item 7

  10. Anne says:

    Yes Spud it occurred to me too that it could be a new word to describe pie face-slapping competitions. I was appied…
    :D

    @ Ianmac
    There are several good responses to that post. The Standard does a great job getting the truth out into the open that the MSM are either too scared or don’t want to touch. Shame on them.

    .

  11. Loota says:

    Hmmmmm this Lefty-speak is a bit confusing, could someone please translate what an ‘MSM’ for me is please? Soz for the ignorance :)

  12. Ianmac says:

    MSM: Man Sized Murk

  13. Loota says:

    Seriously? Uh, thanks Ianmac.

    Guess I now have to ask you what the hell that is supposed to be? Some kind of Dr Who monster? :(

  14. Anne says:

    “Mainstream Media” Loota

    But Ianmac’s suggestion is fitting to this post!!

  15. Spud says:

    @Ianmac LOL :-D

  16. Ianmac says:

    Just a thought:
    Bill English says the Peda application before Treasury was not the few pages that Annette King held up. That may be so – now! How can one find out just when the application now before Treasury, was lodged. It would have to have been many weeks before the Budget was set ie late April at the least????

    If it was lodged in a full form for Treasury say 2-3 weeks ago, after the Budget, what would that tell you?

  17. Spud says:

    Something funny is going on! :?

  18. Bomber says:

    Dear Pere Maitai
    I would like to register my disgust at the gagging of Efeso Collins on radio 531pi. I have known Efeso Collins since I was 20 years of age and hold him in the highest of regards in terms of his ethics and standing in his community. To gag him from his radio show for asking hard questions over the PEDA fiasco is a dent on the integrity of your station and of him personally.

    Here is what the NZ blogosphere is saying in regards to this injustice

    http://tumeke.blogspot.com/2010/06/peda-limited.html

    I look forward to reading a press release from you re-instating Efeso.

    Yours
    Martyn ‘Bomber’ Bradbury

    The War on News 10.30pm Tuesday STRATOS Sky 89 & Freeview 21
    Replayed Triangle tv 9.45pm Wednesday
    Online http://www.scoop.co.nz & http://www.tumeke.blogspot.com
    http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=281266264323&ref=ts

  19. Loota says:

    LOL thanks everyone.

  20. Loota says:

    Or as they say in the US

    “lame stream media”

  21. madman says:

    Erk I am repulsed !

  22. sammy says:

    So while our fearless Fourth Estate are poring over their boxes of documents, hoping to find another bottle of wine or bunch of flowers, there are other official documents staring them in the face. And they reveal the trifling sum of …

    One Million Dollars.

    http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2010/06/right-there-in-black-and-white.html

    That is taxpayers’ money, to be handed over – and not paid back.

    Call me crazy, but I’d kinda like to know who’s getting it, and why. Perhaps reporters should be chasing Bill English up and down the corridors? Or standing outside his house?

  23. Spud says:

    Uma rapiti, uma rapiti uma uma uma…
    (And away Blinglish goes).

  24. Ianmac says:

    Indeed Sammy. If “they” are not held accountable then what accountabilty and transparency do we have? It was promised wasn’t it?

  25. Loota says:

    Interesting how all the ardent, voracious pursuers of the McMeal Rorts are now relatively quiet on the matter of the Million Dollar Big $$$ Rorts.

    Maybe they prefer to look after tax payers dollars in $10 and $20 denominations?

  26. Mac1 says:

    @ Sammy
    Stand ouside Blinglish’s house, in Dipton, where he lives?

    Another half million rort just there……….

  27. pollywog says:

    It was the previous Labour gov’t who appointed Fa’amatuainu Tino Pereira to the Chair of The National Pacific Radio trust but it was the current National gov’t who reaffirmed his appointment this year. But with that being said, blood is thicker than water.

    In Pasifikan circles, blood is everything. So if your little bro was floundering, wouldn’t you want to help him out by any means neccessary ?

    Shame on you Tino !

  28. Anne says:

    Has anyone noticed that our fearless and relentlessly anti-Labour trolls (and I won’t name them because most will know who they are anyway) have steered clear of these “Peda” posts? Told to keep their heads down and not to comment?

  29. Spud says:

    8O Hey, you’re right! :-D

  30. A Mother says:

    @Loota. :)

  31. Loota says:

    Anne…its like they’re being…co-ordinated! Wow.

    Hi A Mother :)

  32. A Mother says:

    Hi Loota, Anne and Spud.

  33. pollywog says:

    Even the trolls know English and Te heu Heu messed up badly on this one…

  34. Spud says:

    I feel suffocated :-(

  35. Ianmac says:

    Has anything more happened on the PEDA file?

  36. Loota says:

    Just out of interest, $4.8M = 530,000 McMeal Combo rorts.

    That’s a heck of a lot of takeaways. I would’ve thought the rort chasers would be all over this like a cheap suit ($4.8M = 15,000 cheap suits).

    But perhaps the rort chasers are all too busy this weekend watching their Hotel rental movies ($4.8M = 240,600 ‘special’ hotel movies at $19.95 each).

    OR maybe they are had a champagne breakfast this morning and have other things to do ($4.8M = 4,200 cases of Bollinger at retail)

    I really thought they would be more interested in the big $$$ rorts though.

  37. Ianmac says:

    Good point Loota.

  38. A Mother says:

    Yes I know. And media hasn’t reported on it. Very strange.

  39. Tracey says:

    I got the distinct impression G Te Heu Heu all but said on morning radio the other day, that people needed to be asking Bill English, as she hadnt had anything to do with it until after it was announced. SO< why no questioning of bill english?

    Those in the clare curran thread, who are saying media isnt biased, can you explain why the focus on legal adult movies, flowers, wine and mini bar tabs when "we" are about to hand over $1m to an untried, small, unknown organisation as opposed to those with experience, history and existing networks?

  40. Ianmac says:

    Indeed Tracey.

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