It’s been a fascinating last 48-or-so hours as our wonderful news media have grappled with themselves metaphorically and morally over the Goff computer hack, having to superficially tut-tut criminal behaviour but actually, in reality, detesting the alluring power of Tease, knowing that certainly salacious and sensational material is out there, just out of their grubby finger’s reach, but being pimped out for reward before delivery alike any lady-of-the-night with all-but-beginner’s nous advertising her attractions. 

Such arousal, but payment before delivery; Honey. Which is not to disparage ladies-of-the-night; they’re exponentially more honest than our press, or politicians.

Ignoring the elephant in the room Stuff editorialised (in Sunday Star-Times) how:

“We’ve had our own email scandals; Don Brash has always claimed a hacker fed Hollow Men author Nicky Hager his emails”

Don Brash? The nothing book Hollow Men? Are you kidding me? This is the news site running a very-close second to an Auckland scandal-rag in cosying up to criminal Rawshark, and defending that particular cretin’s theft of Cameron Slater’s personal communications, which led to the politically-timed bomb of a book Dirty Politics, as “a self-styled information vigilante”. Please, pass the sick-bucket.

In desperation the ‘news’ organisation pleads for help; anything, to get the dirt for nothing:

The BFD.

Compromised. That’s how you put it. Willing, very willing, users of stolen information, but only if the thief had ‘good’ motives, is on the correct side, and they get the low-down for free: 

“There is undoubted public interest in being told why Goff used his private email account for council and government-related business. Especially as avoiding the scrutiny of official information laws seems the most likely answer.”

And:

“There may or may not be legitimate public interest in exposing some of Goff’s emails, but that doesn’t legitimise criminal behaviour.”

But, only along the lines of:

“There is no public interest in publishing emails that have been obtained illegally and offered to the highest bidder”.

And that; Ladies, Gentlemen, In-Betweens, is the only serious objection they have to this story, this public interest story of Goff’s possible shenanigans, they don’t care a whit the material is stolen, they only worry that they may have to pay for it.

In illuminating the possible evidence the anonymous, perhaps, “self-styled information vigilante” holding the dossier of un-enhancing emails regarding the Auckland Mayoralty office-holder, a bloke formerly considered as Prime Ministerial material, the original story noted: 

“The emails provided also included what appeared to be one sent to Goff as mayor and containing sensitive commercial information about a council transport contract. A purported attached document included specific dollar amounts bid for a transport contract.” 

Oh, dear me. That’s hellish naughty; very, very, very naughty. There are extremely specific confidentiality rules surrounding tender documents, any contractor and every single council employee knows these well, apart from imperio Mr Goff, it seems. Such information, especially price points, is never to be disclosed, to anyone, by anyone, except Mr Goff, it seems, in his personal communications: 

“Team all emails should be on personal addresses or those that cannot be subject to an official information request”

Yeah; Baby.

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Living in Wellington idbkiwi is self-employed in a non-governmental role which suits his masochistic tendencies. He watches very little television, preferring to read or research, but still subscribes...