Tag: new zealand

Revealed: Child exploitation and bestiality material allegedly found on former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming’s work devices

Child exploitation and bestiality material were allegedly found on former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming’s work devices, it can now be revealed.

The revelation comes after a High Court judge dismissed an application to prevent media reporting the nature of the alleged objectionable material.

McSkimming resigned as the country’s second most powerful cop in May amid separate investigations by the Independent Police Conduct Authority and police.

His resignation came a week after RNZ approached him, via his lawyer, with allegations about material found on his work devices.

RNZ earlier revealed pornography found on McSkimming’s work devices was being investigated as alleged objectionable material.

His lawyer Linda Clark was then granted a rare “superinjunction” by Justice Karen Grau that prohibited reporting that disclosed the nature of the allegedly objectionable material, as well as the existence of the injunction itself.

Following a teleconference held by Justice Gwyn, the order prohibiting publication of the nature of the allegedly objectionable material was continued – but the order prohibiting the existence of the injunction was not continued, meaning RNZ could report the fact of McSkimming’s application and the interim result.

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Case closed after ‘Russian disinfo’ claims led to persecution of NZ journalist

Until two years ago, Mick Hall was a fairly obscure journalist publishing wire copy for Radio New Zealand (RNZ), far-removed from media capitals like Washington and London where international opinions are shaped. But in June 2023, Hall suddenly became the target of Five Eyes intelligence agencies when he was accused by Western sources – including his own employer – of inserting “Russian disinformation” into wire stories. 

What started with a dispute of Hall’s copy edits turned into an investigation by New Zealand’s Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS), which briefed top government officials about its probe. For months afterward, major Western media outlets fretted that Kremlin agents had infiltrated New Zealand’s national broadcaster.

But Hall insisted he had been unfairly accused and defamed by a pro-war element driven into the throes of paranoia by the Ukraine proxy war. In November 2024, he lodged a formal complaint against the NZSIS, demanding to know whether Wellington’s primary intelligence service “acted lawfully and properly” and followed “correct procedure” in its investigation, and if any information gathered about him “was shared appropriately, including with overseas partners.”

On April 9, New Zealand’s intelligence watchdog, the Inspector General of Intelligence and Security (IGIS), published the results of the investigation triggered by Hall’s complaint. The Inspector General report noted its investigation lasted between June 10 and August 11 2023, and was closed due to “no concerns of foreign interference” being identified.

The Inspector General acknowledged the intelligence services’ probe was initiated purely due to public “allegations [emphasis added] of foreign interference,” rather than substantive evidence of any kind, and expressed sympathy that Hall found it “disconcerting to discover” he had “come to the attention of an intelligence agency…particularly as a journalist reporting on conflicts where different views can validly be expressed.” However, it concluded NZSIS’ actions were “necessary and proportionate”, and the agency acted “lawful [sic] and properly.”

Hall’s name had been cleared, but he had been denied any recompense for being smeared as a Kremlin agent, and having his career in national media effectively destroyed.

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Taranaki Maunga becomes a legal person as treaty settlement passes into law

The Treaty of Waitangi settlement for Taranaki Maunga passed its second and third reading in Parliament on Thursday.

Around 400 people from the eight iwi of Taranaki – Ngaa Rauru Kiitahi, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Tama, Taranaki iwi and Te Ātiawa – were at Parliament to see the settlement become law.

The Crown profoundly apologised for its confiscation of Taranaki Maunga and almost half a million hectares (1.2 million acres) of Taranaki lands in 1865.

As part of the settlement Mt Egmont will cease to be an official geographic name. The name of the national park, currently called Egmont National Park, will become Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki (meaning the highly regarded and treasured lands of Taranaki), while the highest peak will be Taranaki Maunga.

The park and its contents will be vested as a legal person, its peaks will be named Te Kāhui Tupua – so the park will effectively own itself. But Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi, a collective of both iwi and Crown representatives, will manage the park and develop plans which will be approved by the Conservation Minister.

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New Zealand media’s go-to source for expert opinions supports a bill to deregulate the use of genetic modification; Dr. Guy Hatchard responds

Guy Hatchard, PhD, was formerly Director of Natural Products at Genetic ID (now FoodChain ID) a global food safety testing and certification company. He presented to the original Royal Commission on Genetic Modification in New Zealand in 2000 which helped to clarify the safety ground rules and labelling requirements for genetically modified organisms (“GMOs”) which currently form a part of the New Zealand Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (“HSNO”) legislation. Dr. Hatchard is retired and has no financial interest in the outcomes of the current legislative initiative to deregulate biotechnology experimentation.

The following is his formal response to the Science Media Centre (“SMC”) – an “independent” source of information for the media on all issues related to research, science and innovation – which has published expert opinions in support of the Bill.

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Fascism comes to New Zealand

It’s the abuser’s Swiss army knife for the empty-headed. Multipurpose, its meaning has near-infinite elasticity. You can be labelled ‘fascist’ if you say that there are only two biological sexes, or that women should not have to undress in front of men, or that men should be excluded from women’s sports, or that men can’t get pregnant, or even if you voted for Trump.

Such is the ignorance of the 1930s and 1940s that in contemporary discourse, ‘fascist’ has lost all meaning.

Yet, in a very real sense, New Zealand is now Fascist. If this seems an extraordinary statement, consider Mussolini’s widely reported (though not documented), definition [Emphasis added]:

“Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power.”

This definition may not be to everyone’s liking, but has the virtue of simplicity and clarity. Moreover, it is an accurate description of what is happening in America, Europe, Australia and – as I shall show – New Zealand.

There can be no clearer illustration of the corporate rule of New Zealand than the stranglehold the pharmaceutical industry has on government and media.

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New Zealand’s “Disinformation Project” Shuts Down Amid Accusations of Silencing Opposition

The Disinformation Project, launched in early 2020 in New Zealand as a “disinformation research” group, but slammed by critics as seeking to usher in ideological censorship, is no more.

The project is the product of the Covid era, initially focused on what was at the time considered “disinformation” but then branching out to things like vaccine skepticism in general, climate change – and, apparently, even local politics.

The group, which coordinated with the New Zealand government, described its activities as research and analyses of all manner of “extreme conspiratorial beliefs” as well as their compatriots’ “descent” into those.

Critics, however, point out that silencing the opposition, including by supporting “hate speech” laws, was among the activities of the now-shut-down endeavor that was led by Kate Hannah.

These critics accuse the Disinformation Project of moving from being a handy tool for the New Zealand government to spread its narratives promoting COVID-19 measures (some of the most restrictive in the world), to becoming a political weapon promoting a certain agenda.

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Crown cover-up? When the state turned on its victims

It was a short statement, uttered in the dry atmosphere of an international legal forum in Geneva 10 years ago. It passed unnoticed at the time. To many New Zealanders the statement would appear uncontroversial, even self-evident. But the statement was wrong. Badly wrong. And the person who uttered those words should have known better. If she’d briefed herself properly she quite likely would have.

The statement was made by the Minister of Justice at the time, Judith Collins, on behalf of New Zealand. She was appearing before the United Nations as part of New Zealand’s regular obligation to give an account of itself and its adherence to various UN conventions. Usually New Zealand takes an approach of nothing-to-see-here nonchalance.

But in 2014 a delegate from Iran had the temerity to challenge New Zealand’s casual attitude.

“We would like to express our concern over a number of human rights issues in the country as follows.

“Ensuring safeguards to protect the rights of minorities from discrimination and marginalisation which pose them a higher risk of torture and ill-treatment.”

The Iranian delegate continued to rattle off a bunch of other concerns, such as discrimination in the justice system.

After other countries gave their views, Collins gave a response for New Zealand, which she read from prepared notes. However, she paused for emphasis and looked up from her notes when responding to Iran, singling out the allegation of torture.

“In response to Iran, I can advise that there is no state torture in New Zealand.” 

The problem with this statement is that it wasn’t true.

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New Zealand’s Lesbian Navy Captain Loses $100M Naval Ship in Peacetime Disaster – Ship Runs Aground, Catches Fire, and Sinks, Unleashing Oil Spill off Samoa Coast

New Zealand’s navy has suffered its first peacetime ship loss since World War II when the $100 million multi-role support vessel HMNZS Manawanui ran aground off the southern coast of Upolu Island, Samoa, caught fire and eventually sank—triggering an environmental disaster in the process.

With all 75 passengers and crew evacuated, the vessel’s loss brings fresh scrutiny to the leadership under its openly lesbian commanding officer, Commander Yvonne Gray.

The Manawanui, originally built in Norway and repurposed for New Zealand’s Royal Navy with a substantial $103 million investment, was conducting a seabed survey mission when it hit a reef, according to maritime news outlet gCaptain.

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While the government tries to impose deregulation of biotechnology in New Zealand, corporate media once again publicises that covid did not come from a lab

In 2012, Dr. Anthony Fauci argued for the benefits of gain-of-function research, despite potential risks to public health.

Scientists at the University of Wisconsin and Erasmus University Medical Centre engineered H1N5 avian influenza (bird flu) to pass between mammals, with Dr. Fauci’s support.

The biotechnology field was largely unregulated in the US, guided only by voluntary arrangements. And it’s not only bird flu that has been engineered using gain-of-function.  The covid virus was also made in a laboratory.

A couple of weeks ago, a second attempt to bamboozle the public into believing the covid virus came from an animal source was launched.  A study led by Kristian Andersen suggested covid came from the Wuhan Wet Market.  Andersen was also involved in the now discredited early attempts to dismiss the lab leak theory while also applying for an $8.9 million grant from NIH awaiting approval on Dr. Fauci’s desk.

Currently, there’s a “debate” in New Zealand about biotechnology deregulation, with a one-sided portrayal in corporate media.  Conveniently, New Zealand’s corporate media yet again spreading misinformation about the origins of covid, based on Anderson’s study, creates the wrong impressions about the safety of biotechnology deregulation.

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Before New Zealand’s covid vaccine rollout, 2,000 people attended A&E for chest pains in a year – now it is more than 30,000

A response to a freedom of information request, which in New Zealand is called an Official Information Act (“OIA”) request, showing chest pain and cardiac incidences in younger people has brought mixed responses from New Zealanders, most displaying an underlying sense of incredulity.

“Making sense of the scale of the disaster is hard,” Dr. Guy Hatchard says.  But “the OIA data for chest pain and cardiac events is not an isolated statistic.”

A follow-up survey of New Zealanders who had been diagnosed with mRNA vaccine-induced myopericarditis was conducted by Health New Zealand and, after delaying publishing the survey results for two years, the results were published this month.

The lack of information has had the effect of myopericarditis being greatly underdiagnosed or a diagnosis and clinical response delayed, even in some cases for years. Yet, this information deficit continues to this day.

“Well over 30,000 people [ ] will report to Accident and Emergency with chest pains this year, compared to just 2,000 pre-pandemic,” Dr. Hatchard says.

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