New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters has used social media to speak directly to NZ First supporters.
His video addresses:
- Recent allegations
- The campaign against New Zealand First by an RNZ journalist
- Racing reform and racing policy
- National Party’s “candidates for foreign donations” scandal
Transcript:
Since late last year, two journalists have been running a smear campaign against New Zealand First. After receiving stolen information, donors’ private information was published. Innuendo about donations for policy have then been made.
There is a deliberate attempt being made to take down New Zealand First.
I have received information that the political campaign, launched unbelievably by one of the state broadcaster’s journalists, includes trawling around long-forgotten decade-old non-scandals which have already cleared us of any wrongdoing.
That this is a political campaign by the ‘Media Party’ is clear.
Let me give you another example. Last week Radio New Zealand’s Guyon Espiner wrote a story linking donations to the Government’s racing policy.
It is a serious concern that this item was broadcast on Radio NZ.
It used stolen information, attempted to link party donations to racing policy, and broadcast a shocking smear.
It is unfair, unbalanced, inaccurate, and deeply biased against my party.
They broadcast a smear that suggests donations lead to policy to benefit the racing industry, yet couldn’t back it up with any evidence at all.
And here are the facts which they have wilfully ignored about racing reform.
- Racing policy is in the Coalition Agreement.
- Cabinet makes these decisions. They are not arbitrarily made by NZ First.
- The government has undertaken a wholescale reform of the racing industry because it was going down the gurgler.
- We are working to protect jobs and revitalise the industry.
- It’s a massive overhaul, led by an independent expert from Australia.
The resulting measures were not designed to “benefit” a chosen few. They are designed to protect a $1.4 billion dollar industry and 20 thousand plus jobs.
Radio NZ’s story lacks context, turned a blind eye to the big picture, and attempts to build a story to fit its own bias. Where is its story on the National Party’s “candidates for foreign donations” scandal?
Radio NZ has had a shocking week which it needs to reflect on. It bungled Concert Radio and now exhibits a massive lapse in editorial integrity. We all should expect more.
Next there will reports of “Trump” tactics on my behalf when all that has happened here is the necessity to defend against sloppy and biased journalism.
I predict that Mr Espiner will continue to roll out the information stolen from the party to smear New Zealand First. Today’s story is about the relationship between a NZF donor and a mundane parliamentary process that worked as it should work. Then the next innocent set of donors will be smeared.
Well, I’m not going to accept this state of affairs. As long as some in the media keep telling lies about my party and me I’ll keep telling the truth about them