Owen Glenn

BETTER TIMES: ?Helen Clark and Trevor Mallard with Labour’s (then) biggest donor, Owen Glenn, at the opening of a University building Glenn paid for.

Businessman Sir Owen Glenn has gifted $2.6 million to the Auckland University Business School.

The school’s new dean, Professor Jayne Godfrey, announced the donation on Tuesday.

A new ‘innovation hub’ will open later in 2017 thanks to Sir Owen’s financial contribution.

The hub mimics Ivy League universities ‘maker-spaces’, which is a space, tools, support and environment for students generate ideas and test them. Read more »

Cameron Slater

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

He is fearless in his pursuit of a story.

Love him or loathe him, you can’t ignore him.

To read Cam’s previous articles click on his name in blue.

http://whaleoil.net.nz

Sir Owen Glenn is pledging $5 million towards the creation of a medical school in Waikato.

The 76-year-old philanthropist made the announcement at a function at Waikato University on Tuesday.

The medical school proposal, a joint initiative by Waikato University and the Waikato District Health Board, aims to reverse a shortfall of primary care doctors, especially in provincial and rural areas.

That man has done more for New Zealand and New Zealanders than the Labour party in the last decade. ? Read more »

Cameron Slater

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

He is fearless in his pursuit of a story.

Love him or loathe him, you can’t ignore him.

To read Cam’s previous articles click on his name in blue.

http://whaleoil.net.nz

… Labour MP Stuart Nash was the …?biggest recipient of donations, declaring he received $99,000 last year.

He said that was the key to his success in winning the Napier electorate – and in being the only candidate to win a seat back from National.

“The majority of the money actually went on full page ads in our community weekly and Napier mail,” he said.

Mr Nash said money was not the only thing needed to run a successful campaign but it was incredibly important.

“Would I have won without that level of money and level of support? Possibly. But this certainly made it a lot easier because we were able to build a profile.”

In total, Labour’s 71 candidates raised just over $604,000 in donations – less than half that of National’s candidates.

71 candidates got $604,000 – about $8500 on average. ?Or, if you take Nash’s lot out and divide by 70… $7214 per candidate. ? That’s just really, really sad. ? No wonder they’re all looking at Nash and going “what the hell?”. ? Read more »

Cameron Slater

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

He is fearless in his pursuit of a story.

Love him or loathe him, you can’t ignore him.

To read Cam’s previous articles click on his name in blue.

http://whaleoil.net.nz

Andrew Little’s claims for the leadership just got a whole lot more credible with his claims that Labour should have distanced themselves sooner from Dotcom.

Which is telling, because it wasn’t pure coincidence that Labour’s election slogan was Vote Positive.

Andrew Little says voters wanted ?greater clarity? about Labour?s potential coalition partners and the party should have clearly spurned Internet-Mana

Interviewed on TV3’s The Nation, he said Labour shares ?a lot of things? with the Green Party, as well as New Zealand First.

?We shouldn’t have had anything to do with Internet Mana. We didn’t make that clear, and I think people were then a little bit suspicious of us,? Little said.

During the campaign, then Labour leader David Cunliffe said he would not allow Internet Mana into cabinet, but said he could work with Dotcom’s party in a broader coalition deal.

“New Zealanders looked at that whole thing. They didn’t like the idea of a very wealthy individual writing out a massive cheque, funding a campaign that was really about his self-interest and a bunch of other people signing up to it,” Little said. ? Read more »

Cameron Slater

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

He is fearless in his pursuit of a story.

Love him or loathe him, you can’t ignore him.

To read Cam’s previous articles click on his name in blue.

http://whaleoil.net.nz

Narcissist and sad old git Owen Glenn is crying a river of tears int eh Herald this morning…that NZ is too nasty and he is being driven away.

Harden up or shut up Owen.

Sir Owen Glenn has become so disillusioned with New Zealand he plans to close his foundation and concentrate his charitable efforts overseas.

The millionaire philanthropist says he has effectively been driven out of New Zealand, possibly by people with political interests.

Sir Owen also cited a media obsessed with unearthing scandal as a factor in his decision to quit the country.

“I’ve literally been driven out of New Zealand mentally. I’ve closed down my foundation there.”

He believes he is the victim of the tall poppy syndrome.

“Why? I’m not hurting anybody. I’m doing the opposite. I’ve given more money away in New Zealand than anybody else ever as a philanthropist. Will somebody please tell [people] that? Read more »

Cameron Slater

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

He is fearless in his pursuit of a story.

Love him or loathe him, you can’t ignore him.

To read Cam’s previous articles click on his name in blue.

http://whaleoil.net.nz

Winston Peters claimed earlier in the?year that Huka Lodge had be sold…it was a lie.

Winston Peters once told the media and a privileges committee that he’d never taken a donation from Owen Glenn…it was a lie.

Now he is lying again.

Justice Minister Judith Collins has said NZ First leader Winston Peters was wrong when he said one of her people approached him about negotiations after the election if she was National leader.

This evening Peters told TV3 he had “backdoor approaches myself from the Collins’ camp… If you can’t talk to [National leader] John Key after the election, can you talk to her?”

Peters believed the move was an attempt to undermine the prime minister which Collins was likely to be aware of.

“I didn’t think the bag man was coming without her consent,” Peters said.

Collins had previously said she was not responsible for what others did, but came out more strongly this evening.

“Winston Peters is wrong. I have never approached him nor have I asked anyone else to approach him,” she said in a statement.

Winston Peters is stretching credibility to suggest a “loyalist” of Judith Collins would make an approach to a man she deeply despises.

As everyone knows now Judith Collins and I are good friends, I know her mind, and I know that she loathes Winston Peters.

Any claim that a “loyalist” would approach Winston Peters is stupid beyond belief. ? Read more »

Cameron Slater

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

He is fearless in his pursuit of a story.

Love him or loathe him, you can’t ignore him.

To read Cam’s previous articles click on his name in blue.

http://whaleoil.net.nz

The Labour party is demanding an apology from the NZ Herald, their paid staffers who blog anonymously at The Standard are running a campaign of letter writing and bullying against the Herald and this morning they responded…by saying diddums.

It is common in election years for political parties under pressure to attempt to shoot the messenger. In 2005, the?Herald?was stridently criticised and accused of bias by National supporters for our reportage of Dr Don Brash and the Exclusive Brethren. In 2008 it was the turn of Winston Peters and his New Zealand First people to call for resignations of the editor and political editor for the inconvenient revelation of funding from millionaire Owen Glenn, despite his “No” sign. Last election it was National partisans again, livid at the?Herald on Sunday?and?Heraldfor John Key and John Banks talking openly before a microphone accidentally left on their “cup of tea” table in a cafe.

This year it is the turn of Labour and its leader, David Cunliffe, incensed at reporting on the donations to the party and its MPs by the controversial Chinese migrant Donghua Liu — and that party’s connections to him.

Mr Cunliffe is considering unspecified legal options against the?Herald. Party supporters have weighed in with accusations of political bias and complicated right-wing conspiracies.

The noise obscures the validity of the?Herald‘s reporting.

I don’t think the Herald is inherently biased. The Donghua Liu story shows that. Some staff may well be biased, but the Herald as a whole is not…though it has taken a more left wing slant in recent years. There is nothing wrong with that…the audience will leave and something new will come along, that is the way of media.? Read more »

Cameron Slater

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

He is fearless in his pursuit of a story.

Love him or loathe him, you can’t ignore him.

To read Cam’s previous articles click on his name in blue.

http://whaleoil.net.nz

As we saw yesterday, the reason we have Maori violence towards women and children is because they were told by early colonisers that men were more important than women and children. ?In short, it’s not their fault for beating women and killing babies because their sense of what is right and wrong was destroyed by these early British New Zealanders.

Since Owen Glenn paid $3 million dollars for a report that returned gems like the above, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the other major recommendation, to overturn the way the Family Court works, is getting a similarly cold response. ?Isaac Davison reports

Justice Minister Judith Collins has ruled out reversing the burden of proof in domestic violence cases – one of the key recommendations in the first report of the Glenn Inquiry.

Mrs Collins said this morning she would not consider the proposal, which would replace the adversarial court system with one which would place the burden of proof on alleged perpetrators instead of victims.

“The last thing I want to do is have our whole domestic violence work called into question by anybody saying it was impossible to prove that someone hasn’t actually assaulted someone.”

She also defended the Family Court after the Glenn Inquiry heard it was dysfunctional. Mrs Collins said recent reforms were a step in the right direction.

The reforms were implemented in March, and placed more emphasis on families resolving their conflict outside of court. Read more »

Cameron Slater

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

He is fearless in his pursuit of a story.

Love him or loathe him, you can’t ignore him.

To read Cam’s previous articles click on his name in blue.

http://whaleoil.net.nz

The best thing about Kim Dotcom pouring millions into this election is that he has set the benchmark for all other parties…and it is the left-wing that has done it.

Previously we have had whinging from unions, Labour and the Greens about donations like that from Tony Astle or from chinese donors…but that was always small beer compared to the union cash, Owen Glenn’s half million to Labour and now Kim Dotcom’s millions to the Internet party.

Labour attacked Simon Lusk for daring to write a paper which some disaffected and myopic Nats leaked to them, where he advocated for the professionalisation of politics. Precisely that which Kim Dotcom is now doing.

We haven’t heard a peep really though from Trevor Mallard about German bagmen, or paid professionals, and nor will we…because when the left do it then everything is ok.

We have now entered an era of big money in politics and there isn’t a damn thing that can be done to stop it. I welcome the advent of this…and quietly snigger at the trap the left has set for themselves.

National though needs to clean out the board and any fool holding positions that hankers for the era of amateurism in politics. They need to go, because like with Rugby Union the inevitable has happened, and it is now time for the professionals. Peter Goodfellow, Alistair Bell and any other office holder who advocated for the “Lusk Clause” in candidate training needs to quit. The party now needs to mobilise and raise proper funds and set up a formalised training programme that recognises true political talent and encourages that. ? Read more »

Cameron Slater

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

He is fearless in his pursuit of a story.

Love him or loathe him, you can’t ignore him.

To read Cam’s previous articles click on his name in blue.

http://whaleoil.net.nz

The media tide is turning on Winston Peters.

Duncan Garner gave him a right good old kicking yesterday, calling him “evil and cowardly”…which ironically I called Winston Peters to his face on the phone, to which he replied that he would smack me up if I said it in person.

Poor Winston, what’s going on? It looks like you’re really struggling to land any decent hits in Parliament these days. It all looks a bit limp and sad.

You’ve been there since 1978, save for three years in the wilderness before this term. If you ever had the answers then you’ve had ample time to share them.

Instead, what did we see this week? You abusing your privilege of free speech by spewing vicious bile at an MP who is in Parliament only because you wanted him there. Brendan Horan is hardly the first NZ First MP selected for loyalty rather than ability.

Calling Horan the “Jimmy Savile of New Zealand politics” was evil and cowardly ? and you know it. If anyone makes any sort of claim against you, you’re quick to threaten legal action and demand retractions and apologies. But when you’re the one dishing it out those rules don’t apply: you can waltz into Parliament and get all the protection you need.

I have been threatened with legal action several times by Winston Peters, I once told his lawyer that I’d welcome the chance to explain just how Winston Peters won the Hunua by-election and he could tell Winston Peters that and see if he wants to continue the action. The man is a bully, a coward and yes he is evil.

I can’t help but point out the irony of it all to you. I remember covering a speech you made in Kawerau in 2008 and you had Horan along as your little sycophantic sidekick.

Horan was in awe of you, banging on to the journos about how you were an honest and loyal man who only wanted what was right for New Zealand. He told us you never took money from Owen Glenn and everyone was wrong to be questioning your integrity and honesty. Horan was really fired up that afternoon.

So how does it feel now he’s firing a few at you? Suddenly the spending from your parliamentary leader’s fund looks questionable ? despite your denials.

And Horan’s allegations might just be sticking too. Did you spend $20,000 on a computer system to aid your NZ First Party? That money you and all the other parties have in those slush funds has never been transparent.

Read more »

Cameron Slater

As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. When he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet and, as a result, he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist who takes no prisoners.

He is fearless in his pursuit of a story.

Love him or loathe him, you can’t ignore him.

To read Cam’s previous articles click on his name in blue.

http://whaleoil.net.nz