The public relations firm paid $10,000 to broker John Key’s appearance on the Letterman Show was Hill & Knowlton, the PR firm that became notorious for its involvement in the Kuwaiti embassy’s lobbying of congress to provoke a military response to the Iraq invasion back in 1991.
This involved creating an artificial scandal over Iraq troops murdering Kuwaiti babies in incubators, using the Kuwaiti ambassador’s family as stooges claiming to have witnessed these atrocities.
Congress bought it, and Hill & Knowlton was rewarded handsomely for their assistance in facilitating a military response.
Even Crosby Textor looks tame compared with these guys.
Read this extract from The Center for Media and Democracy’s PR Watch
Hill & Knowlton, then the world’s largest PR firm, served as mastermind for the Kuwaiti campaign. Its activities alone would have constituted the largest foreign-funded campaign ever aimed at manipulating American public opinion. By law, the Foreign Agents Registration Act should have exposed this propaganda campaign to the American people, but the Justice Department chose not to enforce it. Nine days after Saddam’s army marched into Kuwait, the Emir’s government agreed to fund a contract under which Hill & Knowlton would represent “Citizens for a Free Kuwait,” a classic PR front group designed to hide the real role of the Kuwaiti government and its collusion with the Bush administration. Over the next six months, the Kuwaiti government channeled $11.9 million dollars to Citizens for a Free Kuwait, whose only other funding totalled $17,861 from 78 individuals. Virtually all of CFK’s budget – $10.8 million – went to Hill & Knowlton in the form of fees.74
The man running Hill & Knowlton’s Washington office was Craig Fuller, one of Bush’s closest friends and inside political advisors. The news media never bothered to examine Fuller’s role until after the war had ended, but if America’s editors had read the PR trade press, they might have noticed this announcement, published in O’Dwyer’s PR Services before the fighting began: “Craig L. Fuller, chief of staff to Bush when he was vice-president, has been on the Kuwaiti account at Hill & Knowlton since the first day.
and this one
Every big media event needs what journalists and flacks alike refer to as “the hook.” An ideal hook becomes the central element of a story that makes it newsworthy, evokes a strong emotional response, and sticks in the memory. In the case of the Gulf War, the “hook” was invented by Hill & Knowlton. In style, substance and mode of delivery, it bore an uncanny resemblance to England’s World War I hearings that accused German soldiers of killing babies.
@ Oliver, fair enough. It is a well worn Tory and CT tactic to identify an innocent or innocuous comment by a Labour person, take it out of context, exaggerate it, place it in a new context, and invent a new ‘truth’. Standard operating procedure. They use it on the MSM all the time, and those indolent fools fall for it, time and again. Nice to see you are not fooled.
Kimbo
Unless you’re somebody who lives only in the present, the past has relevance. Your argument basically means that what people have done in the past doesn’t matter. Well it does and H&K have a very dubious history. There are a lot of PR firms out there that haven’t got skeletons in the closet. Political associations are something people should be aware of.
As for your cherry picking words out of Clare’s post to try and stump up your pathetic argument… how the hell do people like you function in everyday life? {deleted, just trying to keep a lid on the more personal stuff in these comments, Grant}.Lou Peters
I disagree. Full credit for making the public aware of one of the many despicable actions a PR firm used by John Key through Tourism NZ gets up to. The taxpayer pays a retainer of between $240,000 to $360,000 per year to H&K. Meanwhile 20% of Kiwi kids are living in poverty.
Perhaps the right wing think that telling lies about babies being killed en mass to promote war is acceptable, but to most right thinking people, such things are despicable! There has been no recompense for such falsehoods and therefore any Government that is meant to be founded on democracy should not associate with such reprehensible PR firms.
You can’t honestly be saying Labour doesn’t have any policies can you Peter? Labour has consistently debated National on the policies and have presented a comprehensibly well thought out plan. Being that National is all about obfuscation, I can see why you might support them.
“Post speaks for itself.”
Really? What’s it saying? Something insightful or something stupid?
“Always good to understand context. Useful to know who you’re working with.”
So why pick this then? In what way does it give more context than say “Hill & Knowlton Canada recognized with Excellence Canada’s highest award” or their international award for their “understanding multiple sclerosis”.
“The conclusions you’ve drawn are all your own work.”
And you had no intent at all to influence them?
You have got to be kidding.
Surely this isn’t how Labour Ministers spend their time – paid for by the NZ public.
What a load of patheticism – string together Hill & Knowlton, Iraq, some guy called Fuller, John Key – and imply there’s some kind of deep RWNJ conspiracy going on? Or dodgy dealings?
Spare me!
This post speaks for itself as its always good to understand context and is useful to know who you are working with. Any conclusions you draw are your own and I deny any responsibility for them.
Beverley Wakem was appointed Ombudsman on 1 March 2005 and Chief Ombudsman on 23 April 2008 by the Labour Government under Helen Clark. Previously she was reappointed to the Higher Salaries Commission in 2001 and again in 2004 by PM Clark’s government. Ms Wakem’s background is in broadcasting, public relations and consulting. From 1996 to 1997, Ms Wakem was Executive Chairman of Hill & Knowlton New Zealand. Clare Curran is a member of the same Labour Party as Helen Clark.
Curious – Thank you for your short reply on the reference to Iraq invasion of Kuwait. I suggest your assertions are similarly unreferenced.
With out protracting discussion on the invasion, reading a little more widely than US sourced information may provide you with a more complete picture.
Saddam was backed and financed from a variety of sources and the supply of equipment to make deadly gas and other illegal weaponry, was facilitated by our “allies”.
Bankers back both sides with impunity and profit.
War for oil is a dirty business.
It is this unattractive, self indulgent petty whining that is proving unattractive to voters. You just don’t get it. Can I suggest you start listening to a broader cross section of the community. These postings come across as opinionated, conceited and arrogant.
The level of thought behind this post is pathetic. Do you really expect NZ’ers to swallow such nonsense. Come on! No wonder the country is not listening to the labour party. Judging by this stuff, there is nothing relevant to say.
@Jackal “You can’t honestly be saying Labour doesn’t have any policies can you Peter? ” Thats not what Lou (not Peter) said he said Labour didn’t have any policies that resonate with middle New Zealand”. Unless the polls are wrong Labour is struggling to get any traction with the middle voters at all. You also said “Perhaps the right wing think that telling lies about babies being killed en mass to promote war is acceptable, but to most right thinking people, such things are despicable!” Well firstly, the National Party of New Zealand did not kill any babies or is responsible for the deaths of any babies in Iraq, nor I suspect did the PR firm, which is clearly the connection you and Clare, to her shame, are trying to make. Unless you have evidence otherwise of course? When the left get desperately hysterical it seems no-ones reputation is safe.
And some of the MP’s posts – this one being a case in point. Twilight Zone calibre missive this one…
Pete
With respect your comment;
“Do you really expect NZ’ers to swallow such nonsense.”
The public apparently do swallow john Key’s diatribe and for some hook line and sinker.
They also swallow much of what is published in the media except when their sacred cows are doubted.
To classify information on “levels of thought” is a startling admission.
Would you prefer the associations of this PR firm be hidden ?
“Relevant”
What is more relevant than exposing a banker PM who ignores growing inequity and societal breakdown yet promotes further wealth accumulation by a tiny group scavenging all they can with no responsibility toward future generations let alone the present children of the nation.
Look at the stats and also present and proposed Nat policies.
Look at the falling relative wage and longer hours parents have to work and with a diminishing ability to buy the family supplies.
Surely the point of signalling Hill & Knowlton’s dubious ethics is not to imply that Key is responsible for their crimes (the nutters who suggested Clare Curran argued this are adding 2+2 and getting 457) -but to raise the question of whether NZ taxpayers’ money should be supporting a company that engages in such practices. I’m not comfortable with this, even if there’s a legitimate pretext for spending the money to get the prime minister on a US television show.
The information for this blog post was sent to me by a reputable source, Dr Peter Thompson from Victoria University. He is the Senior Lecturer at the
Media Studies Programme at the School of English, Film, Theatre and Media Studies
I told him I would use it. I didn’t credit him because I didn’t think it was useful for him. I get sent a lot of material from people and they rarely want me to credit them directly. If they do I will.
I have been back in touch with Peter and he is fine about me providing his name in relation to this material.
I undertook separate research of my own to verify the content.
The subject of this post is really a lesson for all of us to be careful about the history of companies and the links they have when you employ them to act on your behalf. It’s a lesson for every political party, government agency and anyone really.
Oh come on Clare, you cannot be serious about”The subject of this post is really a lesson for all of us to be careful about the history of companies and the links they have when you employ them to act on your behalf” ….. if you are going to draw that long bow then you’d have to resign as a member of the Labour Party because Roger Douglas was Finance Minister of it, as was Richardson, and so on and so forth.
Why not just man up (in a gender-neutral sense) and admit it was a cheap jibe there for the taking, so you took it. That’s ok…. it politics (albeit to childish in my eyes)
crikey! with stuff like this is it any wonder you are getting caned in the polls? You make Jesse Ventura look credible…lol
Oh so it’s Dr Peter Thompson’s fault now is it? Why on earth would you mention him when you clearly cited the original source? His sending it to you is actually irrelevant unless you are trying to blame him or it’s an attempt at giving your post a veneer academic credibility. Or are you saying he not only sent the source but he wrote the substance of your post?
If you are so concerned with being linked with companies like H&K, are you comfortable with the appointments of their former NZ head Beverley Wakem to so many senior govt roles by Labour?
Oh dear, but I have it on good authority that the satellite that transferred the Letterman programme to New Zealand was placed in orbit by NASA, this is the same NASA that used German scientists who were found at the end of WW2. These scientists developed weapons for the Nazi’s that were used to bomb England!
How could John Key allow himself to be associated with these people!
Well done, your researchers have discovered Wikipedia! Hill and Knowlton also represent Big Tobacco – the perfect company to promote your country’s ‘Clean and Green’ image.
Now, if you guys are any good, you’d dig a little deeper. There are three facts that you should be dissecting:
1. That H&K are paid a ‘retainer’ – which means they don’t need to do anything to get paid a minimum fee;
2. That the retainer is paid to a ‘New York’ company – even though it has offices in 44 countries (including Australia and Auckland); and
3. When was that contract awarded and who has been working at H&K since that period?
I bet H&K get paid for services because of who works for them. You guys call it cronyism. Gee… let me see… how about: http://blogs.hillandknowlton.com/benshipley/
http://www.facebook.com/ben.shipley
What’s amusing is that the ‘Bugger Bugger Damn’ post says:
“I was part of a group that pitched this type of idea to a client last year, so I’m a little miffed we didn’t get it off the ground but stoked that someone else has seen just how great it’s going to be.”
Gee, who does Ben know at Nokia? Maybe his sister, Anna? (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=731136110)
I wonder who’s ‘creative’ idea it was to get John Key onto Letterman? Maybe the son of the former female prime minister who headhunted our current prime minister to join the National Party?
Keep digging. What other government contracts have been awarded to former National Party members? That’s called corruption over here in the States. What do you guys call it?
@ Pauline, “is it any wonder you are getting caned in the polls?” I guess not, when the lazy media pack rolling around the world on expenses with their best bud Johnboy find they have been duped by him, so report that it was a good spend of taxpayers dosh anyway. You are correct, the MSM have let down the public yet again. Indolent, craven, unethical cretins.
Thanks Edrich. Really interesting. Keep it coming
Dave
You could have read Peter’s comment either way and both his contentions are wrong. Labour does have policies that resonate with middle New Zealand. Perhaps you enjoy having your head buried in the sand and living in ignorance, but middle New Zealand doesn’t.
The Horizon Research poll of 1201 people on 24/07/11 found that 41% support the idea of a capital gains tax, 34% oppose it, 18% are neutral and 7% are undecided.
Yes! We all know that National did not kill any babies in Kuwait. That’s a rather pathetic straw man argument. H&K did not kill babies in Kuwait either, but they did help fabricate and promote the story that babies were killed.
It’s common knowledge that Hill & Knowlton was involved in the fabricated dead babies in Kuwait scandal, perhaps you might like to read a bit more about what you’re commenting on before displaying your ignorance.
As head of Tourism, John Key has damaged his own credibility by giving $240,000 to $360,000 as a retainer per year to H&K, a company that obviously has little or no morals.
PAT hits the nail on the head when he asks: should NZ taxpayers’ money be supporting a company that engages in such practices?
My personal opinion is that I don’t want my hard earned tax money to go to such an organization when 20% of Kiwi kids are living in poverty. Labeling me a “hysterical” for that belief is simply infantile!
John W. Equally with respect. The point of my comment was that a large portion of the population is not listening and that they are turned off by the constant stream of denigratory rhetoric that emanates from Laboir spokespeople.
You also amply demonstrate this tendency in the use of such perjorative terms as ‘diatribe’, and suggestions that the government or Key himself are promoting policies leading to societal breakdown etc.
As for the Hill and Knowlton stuff – it is plain rubbish. Not with respect to who their clients are but all the rest. I find it incredible that any person could give it bandwidth.
So to summarize, this ongoing attempt to smear Key et al is rebounding badly on Labour. The more you attack a subject that is more respected or liked than you are the more it damages you. This is what Labour isn’t getting. The point is that in Labour’s position personal invective needs to be avoided unless there are grounds of substance. Look at the polls.
Grounds for substance eh Pete. How about this?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nayirah_%28testimony%29
Jennifer, you are pathetic. You seem to blame the press for everything, including your own party’s leader’s hopeless polling results. Get real for once and try to believe that you are backing a loser. I still await a constructive post from you. The rest of the world is not your enemy, as you seem to believe.
Hi Rich,
Goff is great!
Goff is great. Yeah if only Spud.
What a hilarious thread this is. It has kept me laughing all day.
@ Jackal
Looks like Hill and Knowlton managed to fool Amnesty International. That must have been some PR campaign.
I find it amusing that John Key gets pilloried for supporting a PR company involved with what was a UN authorised war against Iraq invading Kuwait while Helen Clark can send special forces and military intelligence officials to help the USA in a completely illegal invasion of Afghanistan.
What I find even more amusing is that Maryan Street and Phil Goff both sent congratulations to the USA after the summary execution of Osama Bin Laden. An operation launched from an illegally occupied country into another sovereign nation.
Puts things in perspective.
@Edrich
So if I read you right you are saying that former pm son Ben Shipley got a job with h&k in Sydney about 4 months after a contract was signed between tourism nz and h&k in new York to promote nz in the usa and somehow that was because John key is minister of tourism and was recruited by ben’s mum Jenny, even though he wasn’t ( Trevor says it was Michelle boag and he obviously would know http://blog.labour.org.nz/index.php/2010/09/13/nat-party-spinmeister-hired-fraudster/ )
Can’t see how you are going to be any more successful at making those slurs stick than Clare has been.
Oh and a couple of other things, h&k dont have an office in auckland, and retainers usually require a specified level of work, its not free money. But then I probably haven’t dug as ‘deep’ into the ‘facts’ as you – can’t abide the smell sorry.
@ jennifer…to quote your departed ‘dear leader’ Herr Helenski: “Diddums”
The media followed her around in the same manner, even to the top of a very large hill so Hels could have a photo-op with Shania Twain. Obviously she was a big fan of Shania’s hit: ” Man! I feel like a woman”. So who are we to complain about what the media thinks we would be interested in seeing….
On the subject of Hill & Knowlton – maybe somebody might like to explain why this same company were employed by the Ministry of Fisheries under Labour and paid a sum of $6638.00 + GST, and why one of H & K’s former CEOs was also appointed as an Ombudsmen.
Is there some sort of a difference I don’t grasp here, because in the light of this the criticism of Key/NZ tourism might appear to a layman to be somewhat subjective.
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Debates/Debates/Speeches/0/4/5/48HansS_20071011_00000921-Chauvel-Charles-Appointments-Ombudsman.htm
http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Business/QWA/5/6/8/568230b1cd16474abc01e568c80847c8.htm
Jackal,
Ok I read it so what? Crap doesn’t smell any better the more times you read it!
Clare, I am not sure why Dr Thompson would want to join this train wreck. I suggest he wander down the corridor and go visit the Prof of Logic and Philosophy – first year students wouldn’t get away with this tripe! Trotting him out to support and buttress specious claims doesn’t make the wild claims any more rational. Arguments from (dubious) authority don’t go down well with me.
One positive comment I will make is that unlike other sites I am encouraged that the moderators of this site seem to allow robust discussion (and no name calling). That is encouraging.
I don’t think Goff is great! But at least he is honest, which is more than can be said about John Key and co.
Curious’ argument is that Shonkey through Tourism NZ is allowed to give hundreds of thousands of tax dollars to the deceitful PR firm Hill and Knowlton as a retainer because Helen Clark sent troops to Afghanistan. FFS!
You certainly put the nut in RWNJ Curious.
BTW Insider, you’re wrong!
A retainer fee can be paid on a fixed, pre-negotiated rate or on a variable hourly rate depending on the nature of retainer. Unless you’re privy to the contract, it would appear that you’re talking crap!
Hill & Knowlton (NZ) Ltd. Address: 91 St Georges Bay Rd, Parnell, Auckland 1052.
@ Todd
H&K left NZ years ago. Go check the current PRINZ listings, go check the current phone book, go check the companies office, and if you don’t believe any of that go check H&Ks own office listings. You need to not just believe anything that pops up in google. I can tell you from experience that aggretator sites like zenbu and localfoot and findspace are often unreliable as they return data years out of date. You actually have to apply critical thinking not just repeat them.
And re retainers, Thank you for backing up what I said. I said ‘usually’ in contrast to Edrich’s definitiveness. You need to work on your reading comprehension and perhaps direct your comments at him.
@ dazed, thank the research unit folks for digging that up so quickly. The difference here is that Johnboy fibbed, outsmarted himself really.
@Curious – Please stop being rude and nasty.
@Jackal – We may not agree, but at least you can make your points nicely.
You’re right, Goff is honest and he won’t flog off our assets!
I think he’s great and the awesome team that his fighting with him!
! #spud-dyproud
@ Spud.
What was rude and nasty in my last post?
If you think that disagreeing with people is rude and nasty then maybe you should get out more.
Spud
We’ll get to see tonight how honest Goff is when the SIS briefing notes are revealed….(actually I think Goff is a decent man, I think he has unfortunately believed in his own infallibility, put on his Mr Angry face over this and likely painted himself into a no-credibility corner)
@Curious – there you go again, I think you should leave me alone. Please stick to the thread.
@Insider – has it occurred to anyone that maybe he didn’t receive the papers? This is hardly Watergate and he has no reason to make this up.
Now I know what desperation smells like.
@Spud
It’s okay buddy. I will try my best to be nice from now on.
ps How do you do smiley faces, I tried and failed ):
Oooh, my comments got some interesting responses. Farrar and Whaleoil don’t think that the H&K is a story… which means that it is!
I wonder what else is hidden from public gaze?
your brain?
@Curious – Okay, truce then.
See what you did there in yer comment, the eyes always have to be on the left, then ya would’ve got yer face.