Today I checked "The Platform's" independence and it was found wanting
Alternate title: I rang the vaccine pushing Sean Plunket
This morning after another interview elsewhere, and as I had some time to kick around, I decided to have my second go at The Platform. The first time had not been greatly auspicious as Rodney Hide had been very keen to cut me short and I barely got 15 seconds at a guess despite others having minutes to expound on their views previous to me and one after me. But they claim independence1 so I thought that I’d give them another go.
First up the phone that I was using has a blocked number so they really should not have been able to see who was calling from it. But like the previous time they certainly did know, although they had me down (maliciously I suspect) on their system as “John from Whangerei”. I had rung their talkback to discuss two issues, Plunket’s arrogant dismissal of listeners who were reporting vaccine injuries of their families and friends (I could also do this) and the other issue, Izzy Cook and her mother Rose Cook over an interview that Izzy had done with Heather Du Plessis-Allan of Newstalk ZB on the school kids ‘climate strike’ which in my view was a little mean to a 16yo girl but on the other hand there is still an issue of hypocrisy involved (a trip to Fiji recently).
Sean Plunket introduced me as ‘John from Whangerei but maybe not’. I told him who I was and then he went straight to the false accusation that I was a member of Voices For Freedom (VFF) which once again I had to deny. Clearly he knows who I am. The NZ vaccine establishment equally clearly think that there are votes to be lost in being allied to VFF. I tend to think that this depends, if you’re Watson or Tracey Pita then no as this is their main platform. For me, I’m not sure, it depends a little on my ability to navigate those waters.
Anyway as soon as Sean had a no to this he went straight to a very malicious and untrue accusation that I had rung up and abused his staff earlier today. I had done no such thing of course and in fact it would have been very hard to have done so as I was otherwise occupied in a very public facing live interview on another Radio station. But he repeated the accusation two or three times quite aggressively and so I called him a ‘lying arsehole’ which he didn’t register immediately but when he did he asked me what I’d just called him and I repeated that I thought that he was a ‘lying arsehole’2. Which he, or somebody at his station at the very least, clearly was. This kind of threw him off track a little and he then said something like ‘well why did you ring us up for’.3 I then stated that I was doing so in relation to the listeners who were calling him on vaccine injuries who he had slated and the issue regarding Izzy Cook and her mother which he is trying to make his own story. He asked me about the second so I told him ‘that I thought that Heather had been a bit unpleasant to (16yo) Izzy but nevertheless there was some upper middle class hypocrisy involved’. At this point Sean stated that he was disinclined to give me any more platform on his show and started seguing into the, fairly common these days, suggestion that anyone opposing him should seek mental health help4. I could not be bothered listening any further and hung up at the beginning of that. I guess I should have said ‘bye Sean’ before doing so, but oh well it’s all a learning process.
Because the (false) accusation was so malicious, that I had been abusing his staff, I reported it to the police and to the electoral officer. A follow up with a complaint to Netsafe (a woke outfit that I’ve previously had issues with) and the Media Ombudsman will be in place by the time that this post goes up.
One of the issues I had mentioned on my ‘interview’ with the other station was how dirty this election is. It is very dirty. And although Lee Vandervis is somewhat of a target5 for that I’m of the view that I am the main target.
I didn’t decide the charge here, I just told the police the information.
Now I have that article on Aaron Hawkins to finish.
I think doing this stopped him in his tracks and gave me a chance to expound on the Izzy Cook story and if I hadn’t of done it, it would just have been a hit job. But they clearly also think that they can use this part of it to run down my campaign as well, I have a text which I didn’t read on my electoral phone until the early afternoon that says ‘get back to us by 9am’. I responded to that later with a ‘you can apologize or not’.
I have yet to listen to my recording of the call.
As for example by the Green MP, Golriz Ghahrahman.
Ms Parsons nominated one of the other Mayoral candidates, Mandy Mayhem Bulloch, and has been trying to troll several of us for 3 or 4 meetings now.
#dcc #dunedin #elections #electionz #theplatform #seanplunket
Today I checked "The Platform's" independence and it was found wanting
I read on The Platform home page that they state:
“You are on the Platform, New Zealand’s only independent media site giving you unbiased
coverage commentary and opinion and the chance to have your say on the issues that affect you.”
“You are one of many people turning to The Platform for an untarnished view of events in
New Zealand free of government funding and political interference. With your support we
can beat the hatred and division fuelled by taxpayer funded media and woke culture warriors
who want to stifle debate and suffocate democracy.”
Perhaps they should re-read what they promised as they are not fulfilling it.
A professional promise statement clearly defines what you promise to deliver, over time.