By: Larry Williams | Thursday, September 27, 2012 5:45 PM

Kim Dotcom

 

Human error led to the illegal spying in the Kim Dotcom case.

The GCSB relied on police information about Kim Dotcom's residency and did not do its own checks.

The confusion was around a wrong interpretation of the law.

At the time in question, Dotcom was not a New Zealand citizen, but had a residency visa.

The Police and spy agency wrongly determined he did not get the same protection as a permanent resident.

The Inspector General of Security and Intelligence Paul Neazor points out that the intelligence gathering was in relation to locating Dotcom and did not relate to the details or merits of his dispute in the US. It was about where he was or might be expected to be in NZ at a particular time.

So they got it wrong and it shouldn't have happened but it’s hard to see this transgression affecting the case in any shape or form.

The authorities knew he was a resident but didn't think the type of residency qualified Dotcom as a permanent resident.

It’s back to square one for the defence surely. It’s time to focus on the allegations rather than technicalities that might result in dismissal.

 

Lobby Register

Labour wants trade unions excluded from a potential lobbying register.

Green MP Holly Walker's member's bill would require those who lobby politicians to be registered and adhere to a code of ethics.

It passed its first reading with unanimous support from all parties, but Labour has since put forward an amendment that would exclude trade unions.

The unions are one of Labour's major cash cows.

The unions influence policy.

The unions will soon have 20 percent of the vote for future leaders.

Labour and the unions are pretty much joined at the hips. They are more or less one body. Labour jumps to the unions tune.

There are some holes in this Bill but including unions is certainly not one of them.

Labour is taking the public for suckers. It’s remarkably arrogant.

 

Close Up

 

TVNZ's Close Up is to be axed. Mark Sainsbury will go. It will change its name and its format.

This is not ‘shock and awe’ stuff.

The writing appeared to be on the wall for Sainsbury. There has been much commentary on this.

They are coming up with a new format. Something that is different.

I suspect the change with a distinctly new format will mean a move away from current affairs.

Bill Ralston is suggesting a soft-magazine type format like Breakfast. Well good luck with that one.

Close Up, like its counterpart over on TV3, is more of a magazine-type programme now, reporters filing human interest pieces, a talking head introducing soft soap stories.

TV3 to be fair are better at the interview stuff but they too follow the magazine format in content.

Magazine is what they do in Australia with the exception of the ABC.

It’s all hardly what you would call current affairs – it’s more about fluff.

 

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