John Key was encouraged by Anne Tolley’s success at suppressing a research report on national standards.
Now he has apparently gone another step – pulled Cameron Slater’s media accreditation for the National Party conference this weekend.
I don’t like much of Cameron Slater’s work. The arachnephobic blowhole is sometimes a good case for the reintroduction of criminal libel.
But banning him for telling the truth about Key’s mate the party president and caucus attempts to engineer his re-election is not the good old liberal national party of Ralph Hanan and John Marshall and won’t be that way when Simon Power is the leader.
Update – now The Nation is being pressured to stop Slater appearing.
And btw what has happened to Kiwiblog’s defence of Whaleoil. Interesting values that lets the penguin blog on lunch but not stand up for his mate when the boss puts the boot in.
Update II Slater has now confirmed see below:-
Boy have I upset some people. perhaps I have hit too close to the bone.
Today has been full of hurly-burly, lies and bullshit.
I applied to go to National’s conference as Media. I used the same accreditation that has seen me registered as media for two Daivd Tua fights and a number of other functions. It was rejected, I then registered as an observer member, which I am entitled to do.
When I was asked to go on The Nation again this weekend I called the new General Manager to enquire as to the broadband facilities that were available for the media. I was then told that I wasn’t media and therefore any facilities that were provided to the media were off-limits for me. I told him that I was appearing on The Nation, blogging from the conference and they could be helpful or not, and pointed out that not wasn’t going to be a good look for anyone, but I didn’t care about my look so it was up to him. The ban was re-iterated to me.
Today I went to the conference venue, before registration had even begun to test my own provision of broadband. While I was there I received a phone call from the producer The Nation to say that Kevin Taylor had rung him and asked whether I was appearing or not. He took this to be pressure not to have me on. After all why would you ring in the first place. Not only that a message was sent to me in person via a nice staffer from the new GM that I had been warned and was being warned again that I was not permitted entry to designated media areas, and that I wouldn’t be warned again. WTF, I am appearing on nationwide television tomorrow, live from the conference and I’m not allowed in the same area as the guys who are going to be filming me or broadcasting the signals or arranging the timings. Muppets!
In sales and it applies as well to politics, you never ask a question you don’t already know the answer to. So Kevin Taylor already knew I was going to be on The Nation, plus I had blogged about it this morning, so only the stupidest of people wouldn’t know that I was going to be on. So then, why on earth would the Prime Minister’s SPS ring the producer of the programme if it wasn’t to put pressure on to pull me from the show? There is not a single reason for Kevin Taylor to legitimately ring the producer about me, not one, I dare any commenter to give one. I don’t work for the party, or with the party, nor the Prime Ministers office, I am simply a member with a loud mouth.
I confronted Kevin Taylor about his attempt to spike me appearing and he flatly denied it. Unfortunately for Kevin Taylor we have had words before when he has erroneously tried to get me to shut up. I was fortunate to be blessed with parents who encouraged open debate and questioning of weaselly politicians and a SPS is a flea compared to them.
I also had words with another Key staffer who joined in on the Taylor spin that they weren’t interfering. I got no answer to the question as why did they bother to ring in the first place. These two muppets have now contributed to their being a story about the PMs office meddling in the private commercial arrangements of an independent media production company in order to attempt to shut down discourse.
They of course will all be described as un-named sources in the PMs office because these weasels never put their names to anything. I don’t play by those rules, and those rules died with the advent of bloggers. I tell it how it is and too bad if you don’t like it. The best disinfectant is always sunlight. I say always because politicians hate it, therefore it must be good, so do vampires and gingas, again excellent reasons to use sunlight to kill of the old ways.
In case Kevin Taylor, the PM and the other meddling caucus members like Nathan Guy and Gerry Brownlee (yes boys, you are the un-named strategists and ministers) this is a party matter not a matter for the paid plebs of the Prime Minister. We also live in a democracy and the National party used to be known for the fine traditions of democracy as well. Except it looks like I have got too close to the truth and now I must be hushed up. Unfortunately for them I have a blog, and a big mouth.
For delegates make no mistake that caucus is trying to take away your constitutional right to vote for board members as you please. It is an affront to democracy that they are even trying to suggest that the PM might get embarrassed.
What is worse is that during my discussion with one of the muppets, he explained that I couldn’t be media because I wasn’t part of a media organisation. I pointed out that they had the pinko Damien Christie roaming around door-stepping delegates and that he was a blogger. I pointed out that Tracy Watkins, who is also accredited has a blog on the Stuff website, that Pedro Gower also has a blog and he is accredited. The answer, they work for media companies. So it appears that the criteria for being media now is that you get a salary and have a title with a MSM media outfit. It is a bullshit excuse and they know it.
One thing is for sure, if they wanted to hose this down, then they played the wrong way. I have a favourite saying, if you wrestle with pigs two thing are for certain. The first is that you will get dirty, second is the pig enjoys it. I’ve been playing in politics since I was in nappies, I’ve got 40 years on these fools. No flea bit, second rate, muppet, repeater with a jumped up job in the PM’s office is going to fuck with me and get away with it.
Oh and they can call off the lobby fodder txting me too, I know what went down, I’m in the middle of it and, another of my two favourite lines, I’m telling this story as I see it and they are going to be famous for all the wrong reasons.
If delegates didn’t believe before that caucus was meddling to keep a useless president, then they can be rest assured that caucus and the PMs office are heavily involved in running Goodfellow’s spin. For the record I think that John Key is oblivious to all this and the muppets have dropped him in it big time.
The game in the media has changed, unfortunately for National their muppet show that runs communications haven’t grasped that.
Surely The oily cetacean is a branch delegate, so he will still be there.
The agenda is for the adoring masses to smile and wave.
I feel a bit sorry for w hale o il
He has stuck by those tory cronies 
How did Slater get media accreditation in the first place? I realise that the Nats are keen to get hip with teh blogz after the failure of their own forlorn efforts, but Slater’s site (despite generous tax-payer funding) is nothing more than an ill-constructed jumble of obnoxious, poorly-written, juvenile, repetitive slanders and smears. It’s merely a platform from which Slater carries out personal petty vendettas, with the odd bit of gun porn thrown in. Seriously, why would the Nats want to give his rantings even the slightest aura of credibility?
but despite all that – it is still more popular than red alert …
Mako what is evidence of taxpayer funding for whaleoil?
Ha! True. That’ll be the gun porn.
That was a reference to his ability to blog more or less full time because he’s on welfare.
I don’t think he’s on welfare, he’s got an insurance company paying his way… And i thought the Company were trying to ditch his dodgy claims?
Think Rush Limbaugh, not the power broking aspect, but the as the mouth piece of the conservative national party core support.
The toxic blogs of whaleoil are probably representative of what a large segment of Nationals core supporters think.
Key’s smile and wave team don’t want any “good ole true blue boys and gals” spoiling the neo-national image they have worked so hard at.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/03/08/2009-03-08_rush_limbaugh_toxic_to_republican_party_.html
Simon, see http://www.3news.co.nz/Slaters-wife-says-depression-fuels-bloggers-erratic-behaviour/tabid/419/articleID/158328/Default.aspx. For the avoidance of doubt, I’m not commenting one way or the other on Slater’s entitlement to a benefit, or the merits of his dispute with his insurer (I’m in no position to judge that). My point is simply that, despite not having to spend time earning a wage like so many other bloggers, his posts frequently look hurried and ill-considered. You’d think he’d at least have time to spell-check.
Leave families out of it Simon Trevor
Fair cop guv’nor
I’d not seem the TV3 piece.
Please make many copies of Slater’s comments available to delegates at Sky City.
This is the problem when you allow an attack dog to do your dirty work – sometimes it turns around and bites you on the ass…
Alsom compare the approaches to dealing with depression between Cam Slater and John Kirwan.
Troll warned – stay on topic Trevor
Simon – the insurance company cut him off a year or so ago…
Mako – “generous taxpayer funding” – I’ve seen no evidence of that like ever – please let me have more detail so I can force him to buy lunch next time.
Deep Red – yes, comparable when WO becomes a world class athlete with adoring female groupies and packs up leaving NZ to go to Japan then Italy with his gorgeous wife and children. JK’s life didn’t exactly fall apart did it? He always had the rugby.
It seems Mr Slater (Jr) has had his throat cut and is about to be tossed out the back door. (One of his public quotes on the National Party and the way it deals with its failures.)
His good friends at Fidelity Life will be watching with amazement and admiration as he musters the energy, effort and motivation to be a full time reporter and political activist, all the while continuing to insist he is not able to work.
No self employed bloggers at the Festival of flowers??
That means Farrar cant flounce around as part of the new media?
They now have a rule thats cut off their biggest cheerleader ! This is so funny
Will the cetecean now be shunned like they do at Exclusive Brethren.
All thats left is to count the votes Mugabe style for the stage mangers to have taken over the National Party
@ Mallard – I know you guys are still new to blogging – but good manners has it that you link to Whaleoils post – not cut / pasting it.
As much as I am inclined to sit back and enjoy the spectacle of Slater turning on his masters, I can’t get his Close Up appearance over the Richard Worth saga out of my head. I’m not sure whether he has a tenuous grasp of reality or just a flair for hyperbole and dramatic invention, but I think a pinch of salt should be taken when considering many of his claims of inside knowledge and now of persecution from the top.
That said, I expect this will make entertaining weekend reading independent of its veracity.
Cameron should stop messing around with these crusades and focus on getting his life back together. These campaigns do nothing for his mental health, they just pander to his demons.
trev says more about you than national that you take slaters posts seriously. read it, doesn’t look like he is well.
I don’t think that blogging is a healthy pursuit for someone like Cameron. He delivers the goods but at a great cost to his own well being.
chris, I reckon that’s a fair point.
Halwo Tigger! I smell tory Rrrrrrrrr!
(swimmer: WOOF get home!
)
Bye bye
Um, the Simon above is an impostor. I was here first fella, change your name.
It was my understanding too that his insurance companies cut him off ages ago too and he’s made several frivolous attempts to keep them paying out.
Still, his attempts to out people with name suppression have been quite amusing.
Agreed Simon, Red Alert needs a first come first dibbs on name policy!
Sniff sniff, does anyone smell dog?
Finally, an unequivocal stance from national on whaling!
Did anyone see TV3′s piece on Key last night?
Simon
I actually believe I was here first, ie to use Simon, maybe Red alert is able to resolve the confusion ?
I see you’re using simon rather than Simon, which is me. Red Alert?
simon who is currently using a small s but has previously called himself Simon and simo was the first to comment from the email address currently used. It also appears to be his name ! !
And we are not going to reserve names but we reserve the right to ban people who pretend to be others.
I see Mr Goodfellow will be writing to Mr Slater (Jr) to thank him for all that invaluable publicity which led to his re-election to the National Party Board.
LMAO
perhaps it just means the Nat Party swallowed Mr goodfellows slight distortion of his role?
How many women and maori and asian and PI’s on the new Nat Party Board?
Tracey. Who cares? We’ve got more of ‘em in parliament than your lot.
For now, buddy, for now
Got to love Whaleoil’s reference to the National Party “spin muppets”!
Actually I m pretty sure Labour have more women, maori, Asian and PI MPs than National even with a smaller caucus. Haven’t counted, but just thinking about it must be more or equal on most of that list. The overall numerical difference is composed mainly of Pakeha men.
Then leaving parliamentarians aside there is the makeup of the actual branch memberships
” “spin muppets”!” LOL
Cameron is his own worst enemy – equating himself to Jesus in his latest post. Dangerous.
So is capital Simon or little si (simon) the one who doesn’t believe in global warming?
Why shouldn’t Tolley burn anything she doesn’t like? mmmm?
I mean she spends enough time forcing this dumbing down NS down everyone’s throat?
@chris: the reason for not linking to Slater’s blog may be on grounds of taste – not all of us want to risk exposure to that amount of slime