Podcast appearances and mentions of nicky hager

During the 2002 election campaign, New Zealand was having a major debate about the safety of genetically modified food. One memory you might have from this time is a televised interview between 3 News's John Campbell, and Prime Minister Helen Clark. Campbell, fired up and informed by Nicky Hager's yet-to-be-published book Seeds of Distrust, alleged there had been a cover-up over the suspected release of GE corn seed in 2000. The tension was palpable. Clark was furious about being ambushed by Campbell, later labelling him a “sanctimonious little creep”. Remember that? It was an extraordinary interview, and it marked the beginning of Corngate, and it also made genetic engineering a politically untouchable subject.    But that is all about to change.    Yesterday the Government announced it is moving forward on its intentions to overhaul restrictions on the use of gene editing and other genetic technologies in New Zealand and establish a dedicated regulator. A regulator is being put in place to give the public confidence in this new approach.    Legislation is expected to go to Parliament by the end of the year, removing regulatory hurdles on developing genetic technology beyond the lab that has been in place for the last 30 years. These new regulations will put us in line with the approach that Australia is taking.  Back in 2002, like a lot of people, I was interested in the Royal Commission of Inquiry and Corngate scandal and concerned about the potential impact of releasing GM crops into the environment.    But like all technology – so much as changed over the last couple of decades, and if we don't readdress these regulations then, as former chief scientist Professor Sir Peter Gluckman has warned NZ runs the risk of becoming a biotech backwater.  We can already buy products on our shelves that are genetically modified – they must be labelled, and we have a choice as to whether we buy them, but I can understand why some people are still concerned about the environmental releases of GE crops. Therefore, the government needs to make sure they get this piece of legislation right. It's good to see robust risk assessments will be in place, which may also include public consultation before the regulator is satisfied with the risks can be managed.    But there is so much more we can do with GE than just grow food. Over the last few decades, we have seen what GE can contribute to medicine, agriculture and the environment. As Science reporter Jamies Morton pointed out in the NZ Herald today.  Look at Wellington's Malaghan Institute and its development of CAR T-cell cancer therapies that involves collecting a patient's immune cells, genetically modifying the cells to recognise and kill their cancer and returning the cells to the patient as treatment. Current restrictions around research like this have proven challenging for scientists to work with.  Another company is developing gene-edited sterile Douglas fir trees as a way to help tackle the spread of wilding pines across our landscapes, but is having to conduct field trials in the US.  At AgResearch, scientists have been looking at whether gene editing might unlock a pathway in white clover leading to specific compounds that might also help cut methane and nitrogen pollution. The new laws would make it easier for the agency to run controlled field trials here in New Zealand  Implanting genetically modified sperm, eggs and embryos will remain prohibited.  So, is it something to still be afraid of?    A survey on 1029 people run by Primary Purpose, a research firm specializing in primary industries discovered that attitudes on using genetic tech in food were approximately split into thirds: 34 percent support, 31 percent opposition and 34 percent were unsure. So how do you feel about it?    This is new territory for New Zealand – it's a move away from a cautionary approach. But are we at the point now whereby the benefits for society outweigh the risks.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Investigative journalist Nicky Hager says a decade old leaked US intelligence document points to the identity of the foreign intelligence equipment hosted by the GSCB without the knowledge of politicians. Last week, the Inspector General of Intelligence and Security revealed a foreign agency has been running a spy operation in New Zealand for almost a decade, without ministers knowing. Nicky Hager, who was a member of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security's reference group, has used information leaked by Edward Snowden to identify the mystery intelligence equipment. In a commentary piece published on the RNZ website Friday morning Hagar says the papers point to the use of a system called APPARITION which was to be installed at the base in June 2012, the same date as the foreign intelligence equipment discussed in the Inspector-General's report Nicky Hager says APPARITION collects location data for capture-kill operations. Other Snowden documents show that APPARITION was run by the United States' National Security Agency, or NSA.

Julian Batchelor is speaking to media attempting to distance himself from the actions of men at his recent meeting where protestor Victoria Jakobs was assaulted. He is claiming the events happened one way, when the evidence is clear they did not. It seems that he is attempting to make himself less culpable for the actions and one imagines this may be a tactic as he may be worried about legal action For some reason the National Party is attempting to convince NZers that if Labour was to take GST off fresh fruit and veg that would be a bad thing. In all honestly it won't make a big difference to Kiwis, but it would be popular and is weird that National is attempting to paint a negative picture about people spending less at the supermarket. Rumours are out that Nicky Hager's next book will be on the funders of the Taxpayers Union. We'll check out the story tonight. +++++++++++++++ Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠#BHN⁠ ⁠https://www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠ Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter. @patbrittenden @Chewie_NZ

Joining us live at 9pm is Victoria Jakobs. Victoria is the protestor who was assaulted at the Julian Batchelor event in the weekend. Victoria has sustained several injuries from the assault and we will document her full story at 9pm We've also got Hannah Joy Blake, also known as @ExFundyFeminist on Twitter coming on to support Victoria and tell her perspective as the person who organised the event where Victoria was assaulted Find Hannah here https://twitter.com/exfundyfeminist Finally we want to know if Nicky Hager's next book on the Taxpayers Union funding as reported in Spinoff +++++++++++++++ Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠#BHN⁠ ⁠https://www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠ Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter. @patbrittenden @Chewie_NZ

Investigative journalist Nicky Hager and broadcaster Mark Sainsbury join Nick Mills on Friday Faceoff. Together they discuss whether Michael Wood should be sacked from Cabinet, if buses are more important than cars, new recommendations for the electoral system and vaping laws. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Midweek Mediawatch - Colin Peacock talks to Tod Zaner about Auckland mayor Wayne Brown antagonising the media . . . again; a shake-up of Stuff's top brass; TVNZ boosting free-to-air sport; a dead radio station winning three national awards; Nicky Hager honoured for lifting the lid on secrets. 

Midweek Mediawatch - Colin Peacock talks to Tod Zaner about Auckland mayor Wayne Brown antagonising the media . . . again; a shake-up of Stuff's top brass; TVNZ boosting free-to-air sport; a dead radio station winning three national awards; Nicky Hager honoured for lifting the lid on secrets. 

If there was one King's Birthday honour I that was really pleased to see handed out this past weekend, it was the one given to Nicky Hager. I realise Nicky is a controversial figure, because Nicky- quite deliberately it would seem- inserts himself and his reporting into election campaigns  Which means he often becomes the villain to the group of voters supporting the target of his investigation. Whether it's the supporters of Helen Clark in 2002, or Don Brash in 2006, or probably most recently, John Key in 2014. But take away his controversial tactic of deliberately publishing and releasing books during a political campaign and just look objectively at what he's told us that we never knew before. If it wasn't for Nicky Hager, we might not know about Five Eyes today. There are five countries in that security grouping- the UK, the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. And of all the journalists in all those countries, it was Nicky Hager who found out about Five Eyes and ended up giving evidence at an inquiry by the European Parliament.  It was Nicky who told us about Dirty Politics, about our soldiers probably killing civilians in Afghanistan, about Corngate, about the exclusive brethren funding the National Party. And for that, he's been subjected to some pretty poor behaviour, including being unlawfully raided by the police. The police apologised publicly, his bank apologised publicly for handing over private information and the spies who were monitoring his phone apologised publicly.  Nicky Hager seems to have a rare thing that I really admire. Which is not giving a stuff what people think of him and just sticking to his principles and doing what he thinks is right. I know journalists are not the flavour of the month at the moment, largely because so few of them are actually good at what they do. But Nicky is. If you care about transparency and power being held to account, then you should celebrate a journalist like Nicky Hager doing exactly that.  In years to come, we will remember the names of very few journalists, but Nicky will be one of them. So that honour is well-deserved.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our country's top spies - the Security Intelligence Service - are set to cough up more than $66,000 for breaking the law, after unlawfully spying on a journalist to try to identify a source. A long-running dispute has ended in a settlement between investigative journalist and author Nicky Hager and the SIS.   The spy agency has now apologised and admitted it illegally accessed Mr Hager's phone records in 2012, after the publication of his book about Defence Force conduct during Operation Burnham in 2010 in Afghanistan. Nicky Hager's lawyer Felix Geiringer joins us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's spy agency, the SIS, has agreed to pay $66,000 to journalist Nicky Hager after it illegally took his phone records in 2012.  The SIS suspected Hager was illegally given information by a member of the Defence Force for his 2011 book Other People's Wars. In 2019, the Inspector General found the SIS has no reasonable grounds for the investigation.  Hager is pleased with the result, but still has concerns about SIS policies.  His lawyer Felix Geiringer spoke to Guyon Espiner. 

The Deadline Report - Ben Vidgen Investigates. A double shot of reality.

The Deadline Report - Ben Vidgen Investigates. A double shot of reality.

Legislation establishing an independent watchdog for the Defence Force has been introduced to Parliament. The creation of Inspector-General of Defence was one recommendation that came out of the Operation Burnham Inquiry, which uncovered shortcomings in how the defence force navigated alleged civilian casualties. New Zealand war journalist Jon Stephenson has followed the defence force around the world, reporting from on the ground in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. His book Hit and Run, written alongside Nicky Hager, made several explosive allegations about a 2010 SAS killing raid in Afghanistan. Stephenson spoke to Corin Dann.

Nicky Hager argues that investigative journalism is about redressing the obvious inequality of power and creating the possibility of democratic decision making

A cult-like church that is accused by ex-members of controlling its adherents' lives, has metastasised into a multinational corporation with massive buying power. The Exclusive Brethren - now rebranded the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church - says it does not own, operate or hold any commercial business interests itself, but members run their own "family businesses". Many leading New Zealand companies are lining up to join the list of preferred suppliers to what former members describe as a captive market. Ruth Hill has collaborated with investigative journalist Nicky Hager on this report.

Former members of The Plymouth Brethren Church are calling for it to be stripped of its charitable status, which allows it to claim millions of dollars in tax breaks each year. The secretive, cult-like church, previously known as the Exclusive Brethren, says its members donate money to ensure their way of life is "sustainable", and to contribute to society. However, ex-members say hundreds of thousands of dollars were sent every year to Sydney man Bruce Hales, also known as the Elect Vessel. Ruth Hill has collaborated with investigative journalist Nicky Hager on this report.

Nicky Hager discusses Julian Assange and Wikileaks in an Oct 2020 interview, followed by Earthwise bringing the situation of Assange, including the wedding, up to date

Investigative journalist Nicky Hager is urging the New Zealand government to stop spying on its Pacific friends.

Jan Marsh presents Spirited Conversations recorded live at Nelson's Yaza Cafe. Nicky Hager and Tax Havens - Julian Assange and other work stories

Protein scientist and writer Danyl McLauchlan joins Kim to tackle life's big questions, ideas and thinkers. This week he's discussing the current relevance of Nicky Hager's 1996 book Secret Power in relationship to the Five Eyes network, the GCSB, and New Zealand's ongoing role in global surveillance.

Protein scientist and writer Danyl McLauchlan joins Kim to tackle life's big questions, ideas and thinkers. This week he's discussing the current relevance of Nicky Hager's 1996 book Secret Power in relationship to the Five Eyes network, the GCSB, and New Zealand's ongoing role in global surveillance.

A two-year investigation by investigative journalist Nicky Hager has found school children from the School Strike 4 Climate group, who joined a peaceful protest with Greenpeace against the oil-exploration company OMV in New Plymouth a year ago, were targets of the private investigation firm Thompson and Clark. This was only weeks after unprecedented numbers joined the 27th of September school strike marches around the country. The investigation has found between 2019 and 2020, a major focus of Thompson and Clark was monitoring and helping to counter citizen groups concerned about climate change. The main Thompson and Clark operations were in 2020, when the floating oil rig, The C.O.S.L Prospector, drilled first off the coast of Otago and then Taranaki. The private investigators worked intensely trying to uncover the protesters' plans - with daily reporting to OMV - and then devised counter plans and liaised with police to try to avoid or thwart the protests. Other Thompson and Clark clients include large gas emitting industries and an industry lobby group. (The Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand (PEPANZ). We approached OMV New Zealand for comment. In a written response its spokesperson Jane Gower says that "OMV NZ, like many organisations, uses freely available public information to assess activities that might impact our operations" The statement went on to say "We respect the right of peaceful, legal protest but will take the appropriate steps when necessary if our people or businesses are under threat." Gavin Clark of Thompson and Clark says his company has "always strived to operate within the law and the rules and regulations of our industry".

A two-year investigation by investigative journalist Nicky Hager has found school children from the School Strike 4 Climate group, who joined a peaceful protest with Greenpeace against the oil-exploration company OMV in New Plymouth a year ago, were targets of the private investigation firm Thompson and Clark. This was only weeks after unprecedented numbers joined the 27th of September school strike marches around the country. The investigation has found between 2019 and 2020, a major focus of Thompson and Clark was monitoring and helping to counter citizen groups concerned about climate change. The main Thompson and Clark operations were in 2020, when the floating oil rig, The C.O.S.L Prospector, drilled first off the coast of Otago and then Taranaki. The private investigators worked intensely trying to uncover the protesters' plans - with daily reporting to OMV - and then devised counter plans and liaised with police to try to avoid or thwart the protests. Other Thompson and Clark clients include large gas emitting industries and an industry lobby group. (The Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand (PEPANZ). We approached OMV New Zealand for comment. In a written response its spokesperson Jane Gower says that "OMV NZ, like many organisations, uses freely available public information to assess activities that might impact our operations" The statement went on to say "We respect the right of peaceful, legal protest but will take the appropriate steps when necessary if our people or businesses are under threat." Gavin Clark of Thompson and Clark says his company has "always strived to operate within the law and the rules and regulations of our industry".

A two-year investigation by investigative journalist Nicky Hager has found school children from the School Strike 4 Climate group, who joined a peaceful protest with Greenpeace against the oil-exploration company OMV in New Plymouth a year ago, were targets of the private investigation firm Thompson and Clark. This was only weeks after unprecedented numbers joined the 27th of September school strike marches around the country. The investigation has found between 2019 and 2020, a major focus of Thompson and Clark was monitoring and helping to counter citizen groups concerned about climate change. The main Thompson and Clark operations were in 2020, when the floating oil rig, The C.O.S.L Prospector, drilled first off the coast of Otago and then Taranaki. The private investigators worked intensely trying to uncover the protesters' plans - with daily reporting to OMV - and then devised counter plans and liaised with police to try to avoid or thwart the protests. Other Thompson and Clark clients include large gas emitting industries and an industry lobby group. (The Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand (PEPANZ). We approached OMV New Zealand for comment. In a written response its spokesperson Jane Gower says that "OMV NZ, like many organisations, uses freely available public information to assess activities that might impact our operations". The statement went on to say "We respect the right of peaceful, legal protest but will take the appropriate steps when necessary if our people or businesses are under threat". Gavin Clark of Thompson and Clark says his company has "always strived to operate within the law and the rules and regulations of our industry".

The Exclusive Brethren Church has been using the discredited private investigators Thompson and Clark to spy on former members. A two-year investigation for RNZ has found the church, described as cult-like by some, is a major and secret client of the controversial private investigators. Investigative reporter Nicky Hager says the discredited company has dossiers on at least 20 former members of the Exclusive Brethren, based on street surveillance, monitoring of social media, checks in public records and information supplied by church leaders. Thompson and Clark was the subject of an enquiry by the State Services Commission after it was caught spying on Canterbury quake claimants and state abuse complainants. Nicky Hagar says these former exclusive brethren members have committed no crime against the church, which now calls itself the Plymouth Brethren. Doug Watt of the Plymouth Brethren Church says just like any church, we are sad if someone leaves us, but wish them all of the best in their lives, and of course, hope that one day they will change their mind. In a written statement Watt says "What our Church or leadership does not do is launch secretive, clandestine, overnight operations with hired private investigators!" And he goes on to say "While we cannot comment on the actions of every individual within our Church, it is certainly true to say that the Church leadership has absolutely no knowledge or involvement in the matters you have described. Thompson and Clark have also responded to our story saying In a written statement Gavin Clark says "Thompson & Clark has always strived to operate within the law and the rules and regulations of our industry. He says this was confirmed by the Private Security Personnel Licensing Authority and the Police following the State Services Commission inquiry. Clark says the Police advised Thompson & Clark that it found no evidence of any criminal offending by either the company or its contractor regarding work done for Southern Response. While, the licensing authority ruled that Thompson & Clark did not breach the Act or the Code of Conduct for private investigators and is not guilty of misconduct or gross negligence.

A two-year investigation for RNZ has found the Exclusive Brethren Church is a major and secret client of controversial private investigators Thompson and Clark. A privacy law specialist believes the chuch's use of private detectives to spy on former members could potentially lay it open to charges of harassment. Investigative reporter Nicky Hager says the discredited private investigation company has dossiers on at least 20 former members of the Exclusive Brethren, based on street surveillance, monitoring of social media, checks in public records and information supplied by church leaders. Professor Nicole Moreham from Victoria University told reporter Ruth Hill it could also have a damaging psychological effect on those being watched.

The Whale Oil defamation trial collapsed this month in the Auckland High Court, a case that stems back to Nicky Hager's 2014 book Dirty Politics.

Three public health advocates have won a settlement and an unreserved apology from a lobbyist over defamatory blog posts on the WhaleOil website. Doug Sellman, Boyd Swinburn and Shane Bradbrook filed court action in 2016 against Cameron Slater, Carrick Graham, Katherine Rich and the Food and Grocery Council over the blogs. It followed publication of the book Dirty Politics by Nicky Hager, which exposed the commercial links between industry, PR tactics and defamatory blogs on the now defunct website. In a dramatic turn of events yesterday, Carrick Graham said the comments he made were untrue, unfair, offensive, insulting and defamatory - and made to advance the interests of industry. Doug Sellman spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Nicky has met Julian Assange and has worked with Wikileaks. Nicky testified in support of Assange at the extradition trial in London

It's three years since ‘Hit and Run' first put Operation Burnham in the headlines, throwing light on a situation that unfolded far from the public gaze.  The official report is out after a long and costly inquiry. What did the media make of the outcome?

It’s three years since ‘Hit and Run’ first put Operation Burnham in the headlines, throwing light on a situation that unfolded far from the public gaze.  The official report is out after a long and costly inquiry. What did the media make of the outcome?

Find out that 10s of $Billions of holdings are hidden with direct NZ Government knowledge - so as to not be scrutinised by 'we the people.’ We first cover some recent history, and the stopping of economic imperialism here in NZ on the far reaches of what was once the British Empire. However it's about Offshore Corporations being able to profit from NZ resources and labour and taking all their profits away overseas and not really investing in the NZ community at large. For example, back in 1975 at the bottom of the South Island the Bluff aluminium smelter was built by the Rio Tinto Group an Anglo-Australian multinational and the world's second largest metals and mining corporation. This smelter was classified by CAFCA as the largest corporate bludger in NZ. They obtained cheap electricity from Governmentally owned power stations  - huge amounts -  at a tiny fraction of what a NZ householder would pay for. Murray also stated that CAFCA has a clear message – that it does not take immigration as a reason for the  inequities of large amounts of money being taken out of NZ, as this can be easily hijacked and if you are not careful, slip into racism – especially if you are not vigilant. The concern is foreign big business and their domination of virtually all aspects of the NZ economy. Like land sales, banks, news media etc – but virtually any sector of the NZ economy you care to  think about is dominated by TransNational Corporations. They used to be called MultiNational Corporations – because they increasingly operate in a huge number of countries, a number of them so global that they are far larger than the NZ economy. Oil corporations and Apple, Google, Amazon and Microsoft – the digital corporations – they are enormous and continue via software developments to expand their influence whilst encroaching on ours. NZ Needs to Become Self Sufficient. AIMs of CAFCA – that NZ should be a self sufficient economy and that if you are going to have foreign investment it has to be for the benefit of NZers not to simply for overseas investors to ‘fill their own pockets.' For example; 2,000 workers at the Bluff smelter will be now out of work. Because it suits the Corporate interest to do that. That a corporation basically does not have a social contract or obligation and they are doing nothing to improve NZ's debt situation. Thus CAFCA considers them to be a net liability – not an asset. He mentions also the film playing now in NZ called 'Island of the Empire' and it's about NZ’s military relationship with the United States that's been updated with Murray starring (my words) way back in the mid 1980's featuring journalist Nicky Hager, ex Green MP Keith Locke and his sister Maire Leadbeater. Plus ex Activist now Mayor of Invercargill - Tim Shadbolt. Also mentioned, is the 30 year old campaign against the Five Eyes Waihopai - Echelon Listening outpost for the US - UK alliance – that vacuums up all our, (meaning your) - telephone calls, fax’s, texts etc etc. And then saves them for later. Green Rush - Murray mentions the excellent Radio NZ research on who owns our land. The four largest private landowners in New Zealand are all foreign-owned forestry companies. This superb research by Radio NZ is an eye opener. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/400417/green-rush-foreign-forestry-companies-nz-s-biggest-landowners The information comes from an excellent RNZ investigation into land ownership in New Zealand. Using Land Information New Zealand data, Companies Office searches and other research, RNZ compiled a list of what is believed are the 100 biggest private landowners in New Zealand by area, not including the Crown and public entities (which control at least 28 percent of the land) or iwi (Maori). Forestry – not the above radio NZ article which only focussed on land ownership and did not focus on leased land and that is more dominant. This is important to realise - that it is not what is recorded - but what is obscured or hidden. Foreign direct investment (ownership of companies) in New Zealand increased from $15.7 billion in March 1989 to $121.7 billion as of March 2019 - almost eight times. As a proportion of the total output of the economy, Gross Domestic Product, it has risen from 22% to 40%. Statistics NZ data shows the countries where $100m or more in foreign direct investment was based as of March 2019 as being, in decreasing order: Australia, Hong Kong, US, Japan, UK, Singapore, Canada, Netherlands, British Virgin Islands, China, Cayman Islands, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Germany and France (though the investments from some countries have been suppressed). These accounted for 93% of foreign direct investment in New Zealand.. Australia alone accounts for 50% with $57 billion of the $113 billion total. Murray continues, About You - the average NZ home owner. The average house owner who owns less than 5 hectares of land and collectively owns about 1.5 % of NZ. But, it gets worse - those who have around an acre of land with their house on it, such as Mum and Dad owned homes -  the total comes to 0.5% of NZ. Large units of Privately owned land in NZ  We have 4,600 people in NZ  0.1% of the total population that own half of the land owned by the 10 largest landowners. Listen to this, because Murray says the present government is doing something about curtailing the sale of our land … Eugenie Sage, the Green, Minister for Lands ‘outside’ of Government (not invited to Cabinet meetings) has actually said No to an overseas buyer. The Transnational mining company Oceania Gold, who are mining in Waihi in the Coromandel (where there is a huge hole in the ground) was not allowed to expand its operations to buy more farmland so as to use it to dump more toxic waste – however she was overruled by Labour Govt Cabinet Ministers. In this case the Finance Minister David Parker who is basically at the top of the pecking order along with David Clark (also the Minister of Health ) who is associate Minister of Finance. Both overruled her. However Murray states that since 2017 that this Labour lead Govt, of NZ First and the Greens has been doing something substantive to slow down the sales of land to overseas buyers. The Government now has a watchdog type unit that is monitoring sales. Called the ‘Overseas Investment Office’  - you must first check in with the OSIO to see if you can buy … listen or better still track the links below this article. Banking $10,000,000,000 of banking profits from NZers annually - from 5 million people. NZ's Four largest banks in NZ are Australian - These four Aussie banks constitute an enormous chunk of the NZ economy (and who is it who owns these Australian Banks?  Do they have links back to the UK or the US? Follow the money …. They are taking out of the NZ economy $10.3 billion dollars profit which is a substantial amount from less than 5 Million people. In the decade from 2010 up until 2119 they made $84.4 billion in profits out of satisfied NZers. Of which ¾ of this money left NZ. We discuss how the ASB the Auckland Savings Bank, once a very successful ‘Trust’ bank was sold off to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia - which was then privatised by the Conservative Howard, Australian Government. In NZ the many ‘Trust’ Banks that were here - were absorbed into Westpac of Australia. Only Taranaki and Southland remained sovereign.  We learn that Jim Anderton of the Alliance Party managed to start Kiwi Bank totally against the wishes of Prime Minister Helen Clark and Finance Minister Michael Cullen of the Labour Party. In 2019 we learned of ‘other’ tax havens such as the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Channel Islands which include Jersey and Guernsey, Dubai and United Arab Emirates and Island of Man – but the value of all their holdings have been suppressed as quote unquote – Confidential. That the NZ government refuses to let this information out. Listen ... we can go on becoming serfs in our own country or we can ask every political candidate why is this so?  Even Ex National PM John Key mentioned that NZers may become tenants in their own country. Not that he really made an effort to alleviate that. We also learn in this interview, how Labour’s Minister of Finance, David Parker is now making it more streamlined for overseas investors to buy into NZ. This is a shocker. Note that any purchase in NZ that is under $100 million does NOT have to go through any Government oversight – and they do not show up in the statistics! Murray gives an example – if the Auckland Sky tower went up for sale at $99.999 million dollars and someone from Russia, China or America wanted to buy it – that sale would not figure in any of the NZ Government books – it would just go through as an ordinary real estate transaction. (hidden from Public scrutiny) So you can see that the present Government has actually taken the goal posts away from the field altogether. This being done in plain sight by our generously paid elected Representatives who have run away with their own agenda by refusing to represent the interest of ‘we the NZ public.’ Just like selling our house or a flat or whatever … but in Australia it’s considerably higher - they have a $520 million threshold – so the Australian public are being shafted too. That all sales under that $100 million threshold, 'fly under the radar' and the NZ Government (your Government) for decades has been complicit in this. You would have to question that they are wanting to do away with our Sovereignty as a self-reliant nation! Have a good focused listen.  This is an Election Issue. In 2017 the Government put in certain breaks to stop certain countries coming in and bulk buying houses – Have a listen ... Australian and Singaporeans can buy a house in NZ today or many, because of the NZ/Singapore Free Trade Agreement and the Closer Economic Relations (CERA) with Australia, respectively. Note that recently the Australian Government convened a Royal Commission of Enquiry into their Banks (and the Insurance Industry) and have found very damning evidence of wrongdoing – but the NZ Government has declined to do the same – though the 4 largest banks in NZ are Australian owned. Which gives us cause to wonder … We hear from Murray that over seas insurance corporations take in profits of $38 billion annually. As there is an election here in September I asked Murray what questions we should ask Politicians in any public forum? Every candidate be asked about* – why the Government rushed through the Temporary  Overseas Investment (urgent measures ) Amendment Act – so that any foreigner has to have it run by a Governmental National Interest Test. This is to stave off in the situation that critical businesses and infrastructure cannot be bought out in a fire sale - if due to another Covid or other national disaster that collapse the economy  and then have a foreign entity or predator come in and scoop our assets up at a bargain basement price – an then exit the country … Now most countries globally have done the same and in Australia too. So* ask our political candidates to make this 'National Interest Test' - permanent – be it a farm or the Auckland harbour bridge – it has to go through that National Interest Test. Do you agree to that? That it be made permanent. Plus, to now make this to apply to transnational investors already operating in this country. Murray said that the Bluff Aluminium smelter would not have passed this test – saying they are a bunch of bludgers – he said if the National Interest Test had been applied to all the overseas banks in NZ – they would have failed it too. Also ask this question. Do you renounce the whole Neo Liberal Economic Model?This will let you see who is independent or who follows the party line.  Also mentioned that farms are being bought up and converted to pine forests – do we not need to keep the rural sector populated and have schools – villages and towns and the local infrastructure working sustainably - being robust? Other subjects covered. NZ sources so many of its medicines, pills etc from overseas - that a huge percentage come from India and this was compromised during the Covid lockdown - because we had all our eggs in one basket. The US too had 95% of its antibiotics sourced from China. Trump has certainly put a halt to that. Rio Tinto of Australia and what they did on the island of Bougainville was totally lacking in a social conscience. US Bases at Christchurch? It is exempted from NZ Nuclear Free Law, and NZ politicians will tip toe around it, trusting NZers will remain silent. That NZ Legalised spying on NZ – by the J Key Government The Global media program lies that NZ is an honest country, when it is definitely not. Murray states that CAFCA is also for Progressive Nationalism Versus Globalism. Wanting NZ to become as self sufficient and sustainable as possible. To remind you all. Find out that 10's of $Billions of holdings are hidden with direct NZ Government knowledge - so as to not be scrutinised by 'we the people.’ This is a giant scam and needs to become an election issue - and it will - with your help and assistance. What I didn't get around to asking about: Fishing companies in NZ. TPPA.  Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement.  Anything we need to know? Water resources being sold off at a pittance to overseas entities. I have this link. To Aotearoa Water Action https://www.aotearoawateraction.org.nz/     IMPORTANT. Selling into NZ – Products from China that overtime deteriorate in quality. I apologise to readers, in my listening and poor note taking and writing them up coherently. It's just too time consuming and then to reread and rewrite so that they make sense takes hours and hours. Trusting you forgive me as it’s all voluntary. By clicking on the three below links you will be able to see the bigger picture. http://canterbury.cyberplace.co.nz/community/CAFCA/key-facts.html http://canterbury.cyberplace.co.nz/community/CAFCA/key-facts/cafca-key-facts-2020-with-notes.pdf https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-depth/400417/green-rush-foreign-forestry-companies-nz-s-biggest-landowners   Next Week’s Interview Ray Broomhall On the deployment of 40,000 satellites in near earth orbit that will facilitate global saturation of 5G wireless frequencies - everywhere. The ramifications to human health, but more so to all biota in the biosphere. What health professionals are doing to educate the public and Councils so as to slow down and stop invasive technologies that have not been ‘independently proven to be safe. What we as families and community can do to protect our health and well being.

Author of seven books Nicky is NZ's foremost investigative journalist - covering - intelligence networks, environmental matters, politics and other issues. Whose books have both illuminated and shocked readers across the country as well as globally  - as we as a nation find out to our consternation - that behind the news, the bureaucratic systems and the political world - truth is hidden from the masses on a grand and vast scale. He is the only New Zealand member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.   Their website https://www.icij.org/ A World First? To people reading this from overseas it was Nicky who in 1996, essentially 'revealed to the world community' that there was a huge secretive global listening system in place that was ‘hoovering’ up all global electronic communications. Be it telephone calls, emails, faxes, web pages, Google searches, etc and now including texts, Facebook, postings, Twitter feeds etc, etc - all are being recorded to gigantic overseas data bases. This includes this posting you are reading - at this moment - (hi guys!)   Echelon = Five Eyes. This system was called 'Echelon’ now dubbed 'Five Eyes' and these ‘bases’ were and still are in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The Anglo American speaking world. Though he was basically ignored in NZ, when the European Parliament heard about this they were initially very upset, especially the French and the Germans. So Nicky was invited to come to the European Parliament to report on his findings. However, to this day, this listening system remains in place as an integral part of the 'deep state’, to the degree that Angela Merkel the German leader, to her consternation, up until relatively recently, had her mobile phone tapped and all her private information recorded. The interview: The Police Raid I asked Nicky if he feels safe in his home after the police raid in 2014 and the confiscation of his computers and files. His answer was that it was emotional disturbing - (listen).   Yet, as a result, he received an 'extraordinary apology' from the NZ police afterwards - stating they should not have done it and that they won't do it again. Then in mid-June 2018, he accepted the apology and compensation for "substantial damages" from  the New Zealand Police for the raid as part of their investigation into the hacking that led to the Dirty Politics book. The Police also acknowledged accessing his financial records as part of the apology settlement. I asked, when the police have to pay up in instances like this, where does the money come from, us the NZ public? Which he agreed that basically it is us, the police are part of the Government that taxpayers finance. Fortunately, Nicky had three top quality lawyers - who gave of their time to have the police, (who after 4 years) finally give an apology to him as well as make 'a declaration that they had acted unlawfully.' He said he was very fortunate in getting the police to apologise. Because this might now stop them doing it to others who are far less resourced than him and his three lawyer friends. In asking about society in general, Nicky states: Most people believe in social services, pay their taxes and want to work for a better world for other people - and that it is only a relatively small number of people that muck it up on massive scale - by doing things secretly, unaccountably that no one knows what they are doing. If journalists let the world know that they can do good quality journalism - this helps curtail people in strong financial and powerful situations from doing corrupt business and banking deals etc. Investigative journalistic ideals work always towards a better world and how things can be right for a better future for children of today  and tomorrow and he says there are more of us than them - and by persistence and focus we can definitely change things for the better. Because there illegal practices are essentially ‘mucking' it up for all of us.   When asked the question, about the lack of top quality journalists across NZ - and did he want to comment on this? He said that there are a good number of very good journalists in NZ, however how the system is run, that it is very difficult to be published. (Listen) To the question about the lack of quality news media - MSM?   He states that when scrutinised MSN are not fulfilling its function in a democratic society.   When asked about Wikipedia - do you find that everything on it is factual and true? Especially about you, Nicky Hager, on your Wiki entry? Nicky says he will never use Wiki, because if the topic is disputed - this is hugely  problematic - especially if there are different sides and interests based around money etc - then Wiki becomes less and less reliable. Some Wiki pages have people with glowing information - they may be important in someone’s estimate - because so much  attention has been given to them. But we need to be very wary. Do you get any feedback that certain entities go on to Wiki and change and edit the  narrative? Yes, this too is problematic. Is there a secretive war going on Wiki? (Listen) You have written 7 books of these:   1 Secret Power    (See above)This also covered the GCSB the NZ Government Communications Security Bureau that can and does listen to all NZ communications within NZ. Tim mentions Oliver Stone the US film director and his movie  - ‘Snowden' - where it implicates the US Deep State, clearly interfering with the Government of Syria - when in fact MSM and the US media tells us that there is a civil war happening - which is clearly not true - Listen or watch the movie.   2 Secrets and  Lies Is about Timberlands West Coast Limited an exposé - in order to cunningly win public support for logging of native forests (old growth) on the West Coast of New Zealand.   (Not mentioned) 3 Seeds of Distrust GE & GMO The book tells the story of how the New Zealand Government handled the unwelcome news of contamination of corn crops with genetically engineered seeds imported from overseas.  NZ Officials succumbed to industry lobbying, quietly changed the regulations to “allow” contaminated crops and ‘managed’ the risk of politicians and the public objecting, by keeping the whole incident secret. The book is not about the corn but about the political management. In this interview Tim mentions that contaminated seeds are still coming into the country especially over 168,000 tons of GE Soybeans, fed to pigs and chickens. Whilst the NZ Government / biosecurity are looking the other way. There is a lot more in the interview about other GE contaminants entering the Port Of Tauranga, having been rejected by China. Nicky understandably (due to all his other many commitments) was not aware of this. Tim asked Nicky about whole paddocks in NZ being sprayed with Monsanto’s glyphosate - causing untold hidden affects to the soil microflora and that when this information becomes known overseas  - that NZ’s clean green image has been sabotaged by their own farmers - what are the consequences for NZ exports? Nicky was not aware of this as this is only just now becoming known. 4 The Hollow Men In November 2006 Hager's book The Hollow Men: A Study in the Politics of Deception was published. The book details a wide range of NZ National Party internal party documents including emails which were leaked by six National Party insiders. The documents were written by the party leader  Don Brash and a wide range of people associated with him. The origin of the book was the exposing of the Exclusive Brethren and their secret funding of the National Party election advertising during the 2005 general election. (This subject was not mentioned either). 5 Other People's  Wars The war on terror in Afghanistan and beyond has been the longest foreign war in New Zealand history, yet most New Zealanders know almost nothing about their country's part in it. For ten years, nearly everything controversial or potentially unpopular was kept secret, and obscured by a steady flow of military public relations stories. Based on thousands of leaked New Zealand military and intelligence documents, extensive interviews with military and intelligence officers and eye-witness accounts from the soldiers on the ground, Nicky Hager tells the story of these years. New Zealand was was far more involved than the public realised in this crucial period of world history, He tells how the military and bureaucracy used the war on terror to pursue private agendas, even when this meant misleading and ignoring the decisions of the elected government. "Nicky Hager has more knowledge and  understanding of the American intelligence world in Afghanistan both its good and it’s very  bad points than any reporter I know." Seymour Hersh, 2013 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Hersh 6 Dirty Politics In August 2014, Hager published Dirty Politics: How attack politics is poisoning New Zealand's political environment, featuring leaked emails between National Party figures and right-wing bloggers. According to Hager the book aims to tell the story of "how attack politics is poisoning NZ's political environment". Hit & Run - with Jon  Stephenson In March 2017, Hager and fellow  journalist Jon Stephenson published Hit & Run: The New Zealand SAS in Afghanistan and the meaning of honour. The book explored the New Zealand Special Air Service's involvement in Operation Burnham, a retaliatory military raid on two Afghan villages, Naik and Khak Khuday Dad, in Afghanistan's Tirgiran Valley in August 2010. The NZ SAS soldiers had attacked a village while pursuing Taliban fighters following the death of a New Zealand soldier in a roadside bomb. According to Hager and Stephenson, none of the fighters were found but 15 civilians were wounded and six killed. The authors asserted that the NZ SAS actions could be considered war crimes and alleged a cover up by the New Zealand Defence Force. Tim: Why is it that our elite NZ SAS special air service forces are used in Afghanistan? Is it because they are better than the US SEALs or because the US military is so over stretched in their world wide network of bases etc? No, because certain elements within the NZ Defence Forces have expressly asked the US to utilise our highly skilled armed soldiers. Listen    Following the  formation of a new Labour-New  Zealand First-Greens coalition government after the 2017 general election,  Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Defence Minister Ron Mark announced in early November that they would hold an inquiry  into the allegations raised by Hit and Run On 13 March 2018, the New Zealand Defence Force  confirmed that the location of an Afghan village mentioned in the book Hit & Run was the same place where the NZSAS raid Operation Burnham took place but maintained that claims of civilian casualties were "unfounded.” On 19 March, the NZDF confirmed that the photos published in Hit  & Run were taken in the same location where Operation Burnham had taken place. On 9 April 2018, the Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier ruled in favour of the New Zealand  Defense Force's decision to withhold most of the information relating to Operation Burnham. On 11 April, Attorney-General David Parker announced that the Government would be holding an inquiry into Operation  Burnham and the allegations in Hit & Run. 9 IGIS Reference Group International Consortium of Investigative  Journalists https://www.icij.org/ Read up on the Panama papers as well as the Paradise Files and you will see just how pervasive corruption is in much of the financial world. On 16 April 2018, Nicky Hager was appointed as a member of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and  Security's Reference Group, an advisory group of journalists, lawyers, academics, and advocates that would scrutinise the legality of the actions of New Zealand's20 intelligence agencies, the NZSIS and GCSB. Hager's appointment was criticised by the National Party's GCSB and NZSIS spokesperson Gerry Brownlee, who pointed to his previous criticism of the NZSIS. Other questions: Anything on who pay donations secretly to political parties? This to Nicky is a big deal. He states that NZ has to clean up its act regarding donations to Political Parties. This to him is an imperative  Listen NZs foreign policy?  Trade with China, and defence with the USA. Is this a incongruent foreign policy? Especially as Paul Buchanan the NZ security analyst and researcher intimated that it was actually a schizophrenic foreign policy. Listen Tim says that as NZ is now in the US Alliance once again, playing with the most expensive and lethal of weapons, it was a different story when the NZ Government democratically announced its Nuclear Free policy, back in 1987. Once this happened NZ Army service men - on bases in the US were shunned through no fault of their own. Many cases of being ignored by US service people made life very difficult for the NZers as they disengaged under NZ Government orders. Example cited: whilst walking along corridors bases in the US as soon as any US servicemen saw the NZ counterpart walking towards them, they immediately opened up any door to their left or right and went inside closing the door waiting for the NZer to pass and then coming out ‘after the kiwi had moved on.’  This was very un ‘warrior like.’ A true warrior respects another warrior from the other side and vice versa. “ True warriors do have codes of ethics, which they follow.” The NZ Frigate Te Kaha being birthed in Honolulu July 08 2012 The frigate HMNZS Te Kaha and tanker HMNZS Endeavour were taking part in Rimpac, the world's biggest military operation, but while old enemies Japan and even a Russian ship were are allowed into Pearl Harbour, the New Zealand ships were sent to Aloha Tower  - deep in the commercial heart of Honolulu. This was seen as being unfriendly, possibly spiteful, all as a result of NZ’s 1987, democratic process of not allowing nuclear armed or powered naval ships into NZ ports or waters. Tim asked Nicky about the John Campbell Live  - James Clapper episode - here in NZ. Where in March 15th 2011 – Top NSA Spy chief, James Clapper, flies to NZ to meet with John Key and this was so secret it was not mentioned at all by the NZ Government -... This country owes John Campbell and the Campbell Live team for explaining how this was exposed - that an aviation photographer at Wellington airport saw a US Airforce Transport plane on the tarmac and photographed it and then enlarged the photo to be able to actually see who was getting back on board - that it was James Clapper on his way back home. he had been quietly here in relation to security and Five Eyes and NZers knew zero about it. Note the Campbell live show critique went along political lines. The left said something is fishy and the right blew it off as a conspiracy.    https://www.ourplanet.org/.../sprung-sneaking-into-nz-james-clapper-head-of-the-nsa Note as Clapper is 'deep state’ he has been accused of perjury back in the US . March 12, 2013, during a United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Senator  Ron Wyden quoted NSA director Keith B. Alexander's keynote speech at the 2012 DEF CON. Alexander had stated that "Our job is foreign intelligence" and that "those who would want to weave the story that we have millions or hundreds of millions of dossiers on people, is absolutely false…. from my perspective, this is absolute nonsense.”  Senator Wyden of the Select intelligence Committee asked Clapper, "Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?" He responded, "No, sir." Wyden asked "It does not?" and Clapper said, "Not wittingly. There are cases where they could inadvertently, perhaps, collect, but not wittingly." This opens the question, does the spying facility in NZ spy on Australia and the Australians spy on the Canadians and the Canadians spy on the Americans - The US on the UK etc etc and on it goes, every country vacuuming up the other countries communications so that under oath, the intelligence officials can say they are not spying on ‘their own’ country? So this was more than a very engaging interview. What one comes away is that Nicky is straight down the line, my questioning could not sway him in any direction other than he told the truth from what he knew. Though this was a serious interview there were a few little parts that made one laugh, mainly at the ludicrousness of it all.

An inquiry is underway into the controversial SAS raid on an Afghan village, which is said to be one of the most complex inquiries in New Zealand history. The main topic today has been deciding what information is to be made public. Dozens of claims have been made in the controversial book Hit and Run, which brought the most serious allegations ever to be aimed at the elite NZSAS. The book, by authors Nicky Hager and Jon Stephenson, was published 18 months ago. It alleges war crimes, the death of six civilians and wounding of 15 others during a "revenge" raid in Afghanistan on August 22 in 2010.But the Defence Force is disputing those claims, saying Hager and Stephenson made 105 errors.Also today, a Northland garage has had its licence for issuing warrants of fitness suspended indefinitely, after it passed a vehicle which was later involved in a fatal crash. The NZTA has written to all vehicle owners receiving WoFs from Dargaville Diesel Specialists, recommending they get their vehicles re-checked.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Overdoing the in-house hype for reality tv shows; Police payout and apology a win for Nicky Hager and reporters, but it came at a cost; DJs' fruitless quest to find MH370 funded by fans

The police apology to Nicky Hager has helped clarify - at last - important principles of journalistic privilege and protection for sources. But it's the third time in recent years that state agencies have coughed up unknown amounts for botched and futile investigations of journalists.

Overdoing the in-house hype for reality tv shows; Police payout and apology a win for Nicky Hager and reporters, but it came at a cost; DJs' fruitless quest to find MH370 funded by fans

The police apology to Nicky Hager has helped clarify - at last - important principles of journalistic privilege and protection for sources. But it's the third time in recent years that state agencies have coughed up unknown amounts for botched and futile investigations of journalists.

This week the Government backs down on repealing the 3 strikes law through a lack of support from New Zealand First and we discuss Kelvin Davis’ plans to address the awful conditions at Waikeria prison. We look back 30 years to show that overcrowding is no new problem and discuss this week’s Police apology to journalist Nicky Hager & what it means for media reporting in New Zealand and beyond.

Whether to report on false rumours about the PM's partner created a quandary for the media. Could they report on slurs designed to do damage without playing into the hands of rumour-mongers?

Whether to report on false rumours about the PM's partner created a quandary for the media. Could they report on slurs designed to do damage without playing into the hands of rumour-mongers?

What an extraordinary and disappointing day.Today the Police Commissioner Mike Bush took the unprecedented step of squashing a rumour that's been going round for 7 months now. I'm sure you've heard it unless you've been under a rock.The rumour concerned the Prime Minister's partner Clarke Gayford and insinuates the police has something on him.So the Commissioner said Gayford is not, and has not been, the subject of any police inquiry, nor has he been charged in relation to any matter. And the reason he took this remarkable step is because of the sheer size and scale of the claims and their despicable nature.I'm so glad this has happened. For months now I have been inundated with friends and acquaintances asking me if the "rumours" are true. Many listeners have texted the "rumour" to me while on air under the guise of anonymity. Many accompanied by detailed scenarios.The scale of the spread of the "story" astounded me. And the morality of those who created the "rumour" in the first place. I had no truck with it and dressed down anyone who mentioned it. A senior manager asked me if an arrest was imminent. I replied get a grip he's currently meeting the Queen!I presume the architects of this whispering slur campaign were disaffected National Party voters still astounded that their party is not in power. If so, they have just cut their nose off to spite their face.If National supporters are involved they have just confirmed that Nicky Hager's allegation that 'Dirty Politics' is alive and well in our system is true.And in doing so they resemble the sore loser Democrats in the United States who are doing anything they can to impeach a lawfully elected President.They have become all that they hate.This has been a shameful blot on our social landscape.I'm very pleased that the police have taken action. If you helped spread the lie, you ought to be ashamed of yourself.* Editor's note: National Party leader Simon Bridges has said today that he expects his MPs to be "above reproach" in their dealings with media and says: "As leader I've repeatedly made my expectations very clear — National MPs will not be involved in peddling rumours or innuendo.".

  I’ve known Nicky Hager for a few years now and we’ve rarely talked shop. I tend to gush a little over my guests onContinue reading

This week has been busy for #metoonz. Zoe Lawton's #metoo blog with 214 stories of sexual abuse from within the legal profession was handed over to the Law Society... interesting to see what will come of that. And Ali and Stuff with Times Up New Zealand have called for a #BlackFriday - go to work in black to stand against sexual assault at work! In Episode 3, Colin Peacock from Radio New Zealand's Mediawatch programme joined me to talk about "Witch Hunts": why do we get panicky when the media wants to investigate the truth about something? Exposure is written and produced by me, Sapeer Mayron. Our theme music is by Ingrid Saker, and our artwork is photography by Brittany Cosgrove.

A conversation between two lively caring Kiwi women about the state of our nation. Liz Gunn and Lisa Er took time this week to Korero about the state of the nation and the ways in which New Zealanders can educate ourselves about our country and our world. (A korero is a conversation or a discussion.) Sadly, the wider research on our country’s current poverty and homelessness, on our record suicide numbers, on the widening gap between the haves and the have nots, can have the sense of a litany of failures . There are many reasons to feel discouraged. BYPASS MAINSTREAM MEDIA Yet the freedoms offered by the internet, and online (and radio) discussion, can offer a way through this sense of overwhelm. Lisa and Liz discuss the ways in which to become more informed and to find the courage to question the norms and the prevailing viewpoints often sold to us through media acolytes of the government viewpoint.  From there, it’s rewarding to become actively involved - by each of us making our own contributions, in our own corners of this country we love. Liz talks of her work with the homeless on our streets and Lisa refers to the nurturing of a system of values as a bedrock for political and societal decision-making. Perhaps the biggest issue coming in to the election is the need to find the passion to stand up and to speak out. Certainly that is the spirit in the studio when Lisa and Liz meet for their discussions. ISSUES One can see on social media much distress about the poverty in New Zealand, lack of housing, homelessness, and frustration about the state of our rivers and lakes. There are those who passionately want change, to cannabis laws, 1080 drops, fluoride in our water, and the banking system.  Others want to ensure that our food is safe and labelled, and that genetic engineering is not let out into the environment. Education and health figure strongly in the list of concerns that people have. Some people concentrate on single issues and become experts, and others view the issues from a bigger picture. However all of the above, and more, need to be included in the discussions we have, especially before the elections. Unfortunately the mainstream media tends to focus on leaders and not on policy so some people feel disinclined to vote. Corruption is another issue that people find hard to accept but as Nicky Hager show us in his two latest books, “Dirty Politics”, and “Hit and Run”, we need to be very awake and aware. HOPE Both Liz and Lisa hope that joining in with this korero -  through your own listenership - will nurture passion in each valued listener, and bring the simmering fire in your belly to life in a burning blaze of  thoughtful discussion on the main aspects of New Zealand life that need to be improved . Such outspokenness will lend an urgency to pre-election build-up, and may even inspire our families -and especially our young - to sign up as voters, and speak up as Kiwis. Links UNICEF report: New Zealand 34th out of 41 developed countries for child well being” https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/93583589/unicef-report-wellbeing-of-kiwi-kids-languishes-behind-other-developed-countries   “No lunches for poor children” http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/shows/2017/05/lunchbox-differences-in-decile-1-and-decile-10-schools.html   This programme is sponsored by The Awareness Party

Peace activist Valerie Morse talks with Lisa Er on the upcoming weapons conference, warship visits and why this is bad for New Zealand and the rest of the world. This November, coinciding with the New Zealand Navy’s 75th birthday celebrations, is the annual NZ Defence Industry Conference and Arms Expo, that includes approximately 500 international weapons companies. The Navy "celebration" is a stage-managed marketing event to secure public support for future ties with the US, sanctioning wars, with ever-increasing budgets, and the recruitment of young men and women who are asked to fight and die. 

 This is proposed for 16th and 17th November 2016 in Auckland, sponsored by the world’s largest weapons manufacturer and maker of nuclear weapons, Lockheed Martin. Also sponsoring are Thales, Babcock, ThyssenKrupp, and Cubic Defence (all in the top 100 list of international arms companies), along with the NZ Defence Industry Association, itself an industry trade promotion group consisting of another approximately 60 members involved in weapons and military-related production. Lockheed Martin currently has a $446 million contract with the NZ Navy to upgrade New Zealand's two frigates, Te Mana and Te Kaha; boats the Government has already indicated it plans to replace as part of its $20 billion boost to the NZ Defence Force, announced as part of the Defence White Paper released earlier this year. This enormous injection of cash into the military is happening despite the NZDF's own evidence that "the country does not face a direct military threat in the foreseeable future". The New Zealand military has been continuously at war in Afghanistan alongside the US for 15 years; it is conducting regular training with the US Marine Corp, and it participates in the largest maritime war games in the world, the US-led Rimpac. The NZ Defence forces original deployment to Iraq was aimed at helping a broader coalition, headed by the United States, to defeat Islamic State and reduce the threat politicians say it poses to New Zealand. Now the deployment has been extended. New Zealand has clearly come under pressure from the US to stay on in Iraq. It is not just about the extra resources, it's about having more countries in Iraq as part of the coalition, giving greater legitimacy to the US-led "Operation Inherent Resolve."

 Valerie says, “We’ve had enough of the politics of fear and austerity. We aren’t going to stand by while those who profit from misery, murder and repression meet to make new deals and congratulate themselves on their successes. We need YOUR help to blockade the weapons conference and to create a peace flotilla on the water to resist the warships.” Get involved 
To get involved, see the link to Auckland Peace Action below.

 Valerie Morse is a writer, librarian, peace activist and anarchist. She is the author of two books: “Against Freedom: the war on terrorism in everyday New Zealand life”, and “The Day the Raids Came: Stories of survival and resistance to the State Terror Raids”. 
She has worked on a range of grassroots community issues including war, arms dealers, climate justice, prison abolition and public transport. She loves to garden, and pet fuzzy animals.

 Valerie is passionate in her opposition to war. She writes - “There are two broader interconnected issues that arise in opposition to the Weapons Conference. First, if there is a military, it needs weapons. Therefore, the issue of the Weapons Conference goes to the heart of the military project in New Zealand. Does New Zealand need a standing army? The peace movement with a long trajectory back to the First World War would say no. Contemporary academics and commentators reject the very idea of the “Defence Force,” instead decrying New Zealand’s history of offensive engagement in foreign wars of empire and conquest.”
 Both journalist Nicky Hager, and Russell Norman of Greenpeace, agree that New Zealand’s Nuclear-Free Act will not be threatened by the US Navy bringing a warship to be part of the NZ Navy's 75th birthday in November.
 Oh really? 
Think again!
 The US position on neither confirming nor denying whether its war ships are nuclear powered or nuclear armed remains the same. What has changed is the position of the New Zealand Government. It is now perfectly happy to use what is publically available and known as to the ships background, and so it is not going to ask anything further! This is the first time in 32 years the US has been invited to send a warship to New Zealand. This event is the culmination of many years of work by those who wish to bring the New Zealand military back into the fold of US empire. The New Zealand government has signed both the Washington and Wellington Declarations in recent years, re-committing the country to joint military cooperation, and conveniently side-stepping the nuclear-free issue altogether. We as a country need to decide who we are. 
Wellington was declared a nuclear free zone on April 14 1982 and 40 local authorities in total had declared themselves nuclear-free by the end of 1984. It is an affront to this country’s nuclear-free status that a naval exercise with United States ships will be taking place in the waters of the Aotearoa New Zealand this November. 

Are we a country that sits under the US military and nuclear umbrella, supporting foreign wars that have nothing to do with us; or are we going to stand up for our own sovereignty declaring  that war is never a solution, and that we will insist on staying nuclear free. Here is a link to Auckland Peace Action Group where you can get involved!
 https://aucklandpeaceaction.wordpress.com Link to Valerie’s article “New Zealand’s Homegrown Military-Industrial Complex” 
http://www.converge.org.nz/abc/pr/50/pr50-005.html Link to Valerie’s book “Against Freedom - The War on Terrorism in Everyday New Zealand Life”.
 https://www.rebelpress.org.nz/files/againstfreedom.pdf

 This interview is sponsored by The Awareness Party
http://www.theawarenessparty.com

Since 1995 Dita worked for the NZ Herald the largest newspaper in NZ, she is currently a TV Producer for TV One. "Journalists need to be very independent, always questioning, always probing always saying, why? That’s the journalist's creed.” Whereas people like Nicky Hager (author of Dirty Politics & many other books) who stands up and asks questions then states the facts, and is painted very effectively as a troublemaker and stirrer - a left wing radical by the government when in reality he is just doing good journalism - that is all he is doing even if the facts are 100% true, he is dismissed as a radical, out to bring down the government.   Is our government becoming so contemptuous of people? Dita states that if the National Party put people before all other considerations, she would be far more favourable to them, but people across the board are seemingly being factored out of the equation in favour of monetarist considerations. Putting people at the centre of what they do, is the foundation of how Dita wishes to see governments govern - without compromise.

Should journalists be part of the solution, and not part of the problem? Freedom of the press describes the right to gather, publish, and distribute information and ideas without government restriction.  This right encompasses freedom from censorship, but does our media really have complete freedom in New Zealand? We need to ask this question when we see the government’s response to Nicky Hager’s investigative journalism, and Channel 7 is removed from TV in spite of having half a million viewers. A journalist was recently no longer required by the Herald after writing an honest critique of the TPPA, and what happened to Campbell Live and why? David Robie, Professor of Communication Studies and Pacific Journalism, Director of the Pacific Media Centre, journalist and author asks these questions and more.

Russell Brown talks about activism online and on the streets with the National Director for ActionStation Marianne Elliott; the author Nicky Hager; the political commentator Matthew Hooton; and Co-Founder of RockEnrol, Laura O'Connell Rapira.

With special guest Amberleigh Jack, writer. Nicky Hager’s house raided by police – 3 News Fifth Estate – Wikipedia Man arrested for shooting drone – Boing Boing Auckland blackout: Aucklanders make the best of a difficult situation – NZ Herald News Man exercising right to open carry robbed at gun point – Boing Boing White … Continue reading "Episode 5.13: One With Your Trigger."

New Zealander Nicky Hager is an author and investigative journalist, who writes about issues involving intelligence networks, environmental issues and politics. He has degrees in physics and philosophy and has been described as "New Zealand's leading investigative journalist.Author of Secret Power: New Zealand's Role in the International Spy Network, Secrets and Lies : The Anatomy of an Anti-Environmental PR Campaign, Seeds of Distrust: The Story of a GE Cover-up and The Hollow Men: A Study in the Politics of Deception, we find that all is not well in little clean green New Zealand. Listen to Nicky explain how he came into this realm, and how he sees what the challenges are, especially in relation to truth, goodwill and integrity. Particularly as to how people can be influenced by vested interests and unethical motivations.