Info

GreenplanetFM Podcast

Dedicated to interviewing leading edge experts, practitioners in their field, and people who are living examples of sustainability. Covers environmental subject matter that is not readily discussed in depth in mainstream media.
RSS Feed Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
GreenplanetFM Podcast
2021
July
June
May
April
March


2020
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
February
January


2019
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February


2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2015
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February


2014
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February


2013
December
November
October
September
August
June
May
April
March
February
January


2012
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February


2011
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
January


2010
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2009
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2008
December
November
October
September
June


Categories

All Episodes
Archives
Categories
Now displaying: December, 2018
Dec 19, 2018

Author of seven books Nicky is NZ's foremost investigative journalist - covering - intelligence networks, environmental matters, politics and other issues. Whose books have both illuminated and shocked readers across the country as well as globally  - as we as a nation find out to our consternation - that behind the news, the bureaucratic systems and the political world - truth is hidden from the masses on a grand and vast scale.

He is the only New Zealand member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.   Their website https://www.icij.org/

A World First?

To people reading this from overseas it was Nicky who in 1996, essentially 'revealed to the world community' that there was a huge secretive global listening system in place that was ‘hoovering’ up all global electronic communications. Be it telephone calls, emails, faxes, web pages, Google searches, etc and now including texts, Facebook, postings, Twitter feeds etc, etc - all are being recorded to gigantic overseas data bases. This includes this posting you are reading - at this moment - (hi guys!)  

Echelon = Five Eyes.

This system was called 'Echelon’ now dubbed 'Five Eyes' and these ‘bases’ were and still are in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The Anglo American speaking world.

Though he was basically ignored in NZ, when the European Parliament heard about this they were initially very upset, especially the French and the Germans. So Nicky was invited to come to the European Parliament to report on his findings. However, to this day, this listening system remains in place as an integral part of the 'deep state’, to the degree that Angela Merkel the German leader, to her consternation, up until relatively recently, had her mobile phone tapped and all her private information recorded.

The interview:

The Police Raid

I asked Nicky if he feels safe in his home after the police raid in 2014 and the confiscation of his computers and files. His answer was that it was emotional disturbing - (listen).  

Yet, as a result, he received an 'extraordinary apology' from the NZ police afterwards - stating they should not have done it and that they won't do it again.

Then in mid-June 2018, he accepted the apology and compensation for "substantial damages" from  the New Zealand Police for the raid as part of their investigation into the hacking that led to the Dirty Politics book. The Police also acknowledged accessing his financial records as part of the apology settlement.

I asked, when the police have to pay up in instances like this, where does the money come from, us the NZ public? Which he agreed that basically it is us, the police are part of the Government that taxpayers finance.

Fortunately, Nicky had three top quality lawyers - who gave of their time to have the police, (who after 4 years) finally give an apology to him as well as make 'a declaration that they had acted unlawfully.'

He said he was very fortunate in getting the police to apologise. Because this might now stop them doing it to others who are far less resourced than him and his three lawyer friends.

In asking about society in general, Nicky states:

Most people believe in social services, pay their taxes and want to work for a better world for other people - and that it is only a relatively small number of people that muck it up on massive scale - by doing things secretly, unaccountably that no one knows what they are doing.

If journalists let the world know that they can do good quality journalism - this helps curtail people in strong financial and powerful situations from doing corrupt business and banking deals etc.

Investigative journalistic ideals work always towards a better world and how things can be right for a better future for children of today  and tomorrow and he says there are more of us than them - and by persistence and focus we can definitely change things for the better. Because there illegal practices are essentially ‘mucking' it up for all of us.  

When asked the question, about the lack of top quality journalists across NZ - and did he want to comment on this?

He said that there are a good number of very good journalists in NZ, however how the system is run, that it is very difficult to be published. (Listen)

To the question about the lack of quality news media - MSM?   He states that when scrutinised MSN are not fulfilling its function in a democratic society.  

When asked about Wikipedia - do you find that everything on it is factual and true? Especially about you, Nicky Hager, on your Wiki entry?

Nicky says he will never use Wiki, because if the topic is disputed - this is hugely  problematic - especially if there are different sides and interests based around money etc - then Wiki becomes less and less reliable.

Some Wiki pages have people with glowing information - they may be important in someone’s estimate - because so much  attention has been given to them. But we need to be very wary.

Do you get any feedback that certain entities go on to Wiki and change and edit the  narrative? Yes, this too is problematic.

Is there a secretive war going on Wiki?

(Listen)

You have written 7 books of these:

 

1 Secret Power    (See above)

This also covered the GCSB the NZ Government Communications Security Bureau that can and does listen to all NZ communications within NZ.

  • Tim mentions Oliver Stone the US film director and his movie  - ‘Snowden' - where it implicates the US Deep State, clearly interfering with the Government of Syria - when in fact MSM and the US media tells us that there is a civil war happening - which is clearly not true - Listen or watch the movie.  

2 Secrets and  Lies


Is about Timberlands West Coast Limited an exposé - in order to cunningly win public support for logging of native forests (old growth) on the West Coast of New Zealand.   (Not mentioned)

3 Seeds of Distrust

  • GE & GMO
  • The book tells the story of how the New Zealand Government handled the unwelcome news of contamination of corn crops with genetically engineered seeds imported from overseas.  NZ Officials succumbed to industry lobbying, quietly changed the regulations to “allow” contaminated crops and ‘managed’ the risk of politicians and the public objecting, by keeping the whole incident secret. The book is not about the corn but about the political management.

In this interview Tim mentions that contaminated seeds are still coming into the country especially over 168,000 tons of GE Soybeans, fed to pigs and chickens. Whilst the NZ Government / biosecurity are looking the other way. There is a lot more in the interview about other GE contaminants entering the Port Of Tauranga, having been rejected by China.

Nicky understandably (due to all his other many commitments) was not aware of this.

Tim asked Nicky about whole paddocks in NZ being sprayed with Monsanto’s glyphosate - causing untold hidden affects to the soil microflora and that when this information becomes known overseas  - that NZ’s clean green image has been sabotaged by their own farmers - what are the consequences for NZ exports? Nicky was not aware of this as this is only just now becoming known.

4 The Hollow Men

  • In November 2006 Hager's book The Hollow Men: A Study in the Politics of Deception was published. The book details a wide range of NZ National Party internal party documents including emails which were leaked by six National Party insiders. The documents were written by the party leader  Don Brash and a wide range of people associated with him.
  • The origin of the book was the exposing of the Exclusive Brethren and their secret funding of the National Party election advertising during the 2005 general election. (This subject was not mentioned either).

5 Other People's  Wars
The war on terror in Afghanistan and beyond has been the longest foreign war in New Zealand history, yet most New Zealanders know almost nothing about their country's part in it. For ten years, nearly everything controversial or potentially unpopular was kept secret, and obscured by a steady flow of military public relations stories.

  • Based on thousands of leaked New Zealand military and intelligence documents, extensive interviews with military and intelligence officers and eye-witness accounts from the soldiers on the ground, Nicky Hager tells the story of these years. New Zealand was was far more involved than the public realised in this crucial period of world history, He tells how the military and bureaucracy used the war on terror to pursue private agendas, even when this meant misleading and ignoring the decisions of the elected government.
  • "Nicky Hager has more knowledge and  understanding of the American intelligence world in Afghanistan both its good and it’s very  bad points than any reporter I know." Seymour Hersh, 2013
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seymour_Hersh

6 Dirty Politics
In August 2014, Hager published Dirty Politics: How attack politics is poisoning New Zealand's political environment, featuring leaked emails between National Party figures and right-wing bloggers. According to Hager the book aims to tell the story of "how attack politics is poisoning NZ's political environment".

Hit & Run - with Jon  Stephenson

  • In March 2017, Hager and fellow  journalist Jon Stephenson published Hit & Run: The New Zealand SAS in Afghanistan and the meaning of honour. The book explored the New Zealand Special Air Service's involvement in Operation Burnham, a retaliatory military raid on two Afghan villages, Naik and Khak Khuday Dad, in Afghanistan's Tirgiran Valley in August 2010. The NZ SAS soldiers had attacked a village while pursuing Taliban fighters following the death of a New Zealand soldier in a roadside bomb. According to Hager and Stephenson, none of the fighters were found but 15 civilians were wounded and six killed. The authors asserted that the NZ SAS actions could be considered war crimes and alleged a cover up by the New Zealand Defence Force.
  • Tim: Why is it that our elite NZ SAS special air service forces are used in Afghanistan? Is it because they are better than the US SEALs or because the US military is so over stretched in their world wide network of bases etc?
  • No, because certain elements within the NZ Defence Forces have expressly asked the US to utilise our highly skilled armed soldiers.
  • Listen   


  • Following the  formation of a new Labour-New  Zealand First-Greens coalition government after the 2017 general election,  Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Defence Minister Ron Mark announced in early November that they would hold an inquiry  into the allegations raised by Hit and Run
  • On 13 March 2018, the New Zealand Defence Force  confirmed that the location of an Afghan village mentioned in the book Hit & Run was the same place where the NZSAS raid Operation Burnham took place but maintained that claims of civilian casualties were "unfounded.”
  • On 19 March, the NZDF confirmed that the photos published in Hit  & Run were taken in the same location where Operation Burnham had taken place.
  • On 9 April 2018, the Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier ruled in favour of the New Zealand  Defense Force's decision to withhold most of the information relating to Operation Burnham.
  • On 11 April, Attorney-General David Parker announced that the Government would be holding an inquiry into Operation  Burnham and the allegations in Hit & Run.
  • 9 IGIS Reference Group
    International Consortium of Investigative  Journalists

  • https://www.icij.org/
  • Read up on the Panama papers as well as the Paradise Files and you will see just how pervasive corruption is in much of the financial world.
  • On 16 April 2018, Nicky Hager was appointed as a member of the Inspector-General of Intelligence and  Security's Reference Group, an advisory group of journalists, lawyers, academics, and advocates that would scrutinise the legality of the actions of New Zealand's20 intelligence agencies, the NZSIS and GCSB.
  • Hager's appointment was criticised by the National Party's GCSB and NZSIS spokesperson Gerry Brownlee, who pointed to his previous criticism of the NZSIS.
  • Other questions:
  • Anything on who pay donations secretly to political parties? This to Nicky is a big deal. He states that NZ has to clean up its act regarding donations to Political Parties. This to him is an imperative  Listen
  • NZs foreign policy?  Trade with China, and defence with the USA. Is this a incongruent foreign policy?
  • Especially as Paul Buchanan the NZ security analyst and researcher intimated that it was actually a schizophrenic foreign policy. Listen

Tim says that as NZ is now in the US Alliance once again, playing with the most expensive and lethal of weapons, it was a different story when the NZ Government democratically announced its Nuclear Free policy, back in 1987. Once this happened NZ Army service men - on bases in the US were shunned through no fault of their own. Many cases of being ignored by US service people made life very difficult for the NZers as they disengaged under NZ Government orders. Example cited: whilst walking along corridors bases in the US as soon as any US servicemen saw the NZ counterpart walking towards them, they immediately opened up any door to their left or right and went inside closing the door waiting for the NZer to pass and then coming out ‘after the kiwi had moved on.’  This was very un ‘warrior like.’ A true warrior respects another warrior from the other side and vice versa. “ True warriors do have codes of ethics, which they follow.”

The NZ Frigate Te Kaha being birthed in Honolulu July 08 2012

The frigate HMNZS Te Kaha and tanker HMNZS Endeavour were taking part in Rimpac, the world's biggest military operation, but while old enemies Japan and even a Russian ship were are allowed into Pearl Harbour, the New Zealand ships were sent to Aloha Tower  - deep in the commercial heart of Honolulu. This was seen as being unfriendly, possibly spiteful, all as a result of NZ’s 1987, democratic process of not allowing nuclear armed or powered naval ships into NZ ports or waters.

Tim asked Nicky about the John Campbell Live  - James Clapper episode - here in NZ. Where in March 15th 2011 – Top NSA Spy chief, James Clapper, flies to NZ to meet with John Key and this was so secret it was not mentioned at all by the NZ Government -...

This country owes John Campbell and the Campbell Live team for explaining how this was exposed - that an aviation photographer at Wellington airport saw a US Airforce Transport plane on the tarmac and photographed it and then enlarged the photo to be able to actually see who was getting back on board - that it was James Clapper on his way back home. he had been quietly here in relation to security and Five Eyes and NZers knew zero about it. Note the Campbell live show critique went along political lines. The left said something is fishy and the right blew it off as a conspiracy.   

https://www.ourplanet.org/.../sprung-sneaking-into-nz-james-clapper-head-of-the-nsa

Note as Clapper is 'deep state’ he has been accused of perjury back in the US .

March 12, 2013, during a United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing, Senator  Ron Wyden quoted NSA director Keith B. Alexander's keynote speech at the 2012 DEF CON. Alexander had stated that "Our job is foreign intelligence" and that "those who would want to weave the story that we have millions or hundreds of millions of dossiers on people, is absolutely false…. from my perspective, this is absolute nonsense.”  Senator Wyden of the Select intelligence Committee asked Clapper, "Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions or hundreds of millions of Americans?" He responded, "No, sir." Wyden asked "It does not?" and Clapper said, "Not wittingly. There are cases where they could inadvertently, perhaps, collect, but not wittingly."

This opens the question, does the spying facility in NZ spy on Australia and the Australians spy on the Canadians and the Canadians spy on the Americans - The US on the UK etc etc and on it goes, every country vacuuming up the other countries communications so that under oath, the intelligence officials can say they are not spying on ‘their own’ country?

So this was more than a very engaging interview.

What one comes away is that Nicky is straight down the line, my questioning could not sway him in any direction other than he told the truth from what he knew.

Though this was a serious interview there were a few little parts that made one laugh, mainly at the ludicrousness of it all.

Dec 13, 2018

We have all been birthed onto this planet and from our first breath our journey has been one that I would like to think, of being wanted, loved and that our parents and siblings make family life one of connection and joy.

Yet, has this ideal been materialised in your life?

Kathy tells of her experience having just over the last 10 years been available 24/7 as a midwife - of assisting around 500 human babies to be born into our realm.

She also says that there is an increasing understanding of new holistic preparatory  methods, that once the prospective ‘first' mother-to-be, educates herself (along with her spouse) major positive changes eventuate. This translates to attending advanced prenatal class etc, (prior to birth) that from then on - virtually every birth becomes so much easier. That over the hours, days, weeks and months every aspect of motherhood, becomes so much easier for both baby and mother - making parenting very satisfying and fulfilling.  

She mentions that in the current obstetric system 50% of first time births for mums are dramatic and traumatic - however when we add up the C section and also the instrumental delivery rate - this is what happens.

That any woman who are not fully engaged in their pregnancy - having too much happening in their life -  (yet still think that they are engaged), but they are not fully engaged - like get really focussed and engaged and get as much information about pregnancy so that when the time of the birth happens - that it a fantastic beautiful, wonderful birth - everything goes better.  

The enjoyment of feeding is better, the baby is thriving - virtually no post natal depression - the husband and partner are wrapped -everything just works better - everything flows in what Kathy calls the ‘cascade of normalcy’  -

She states that the Number 1 priority for the baby is:

    The safest, most kindest, most gentlest birth. (Listen to what is often said next)

    Mum’s to be - you need to quit work early if you can!  It is important to be rested and relaxed

    (we did not get around to soft nature sound or soothing music for the baby in utero …

Gold standard for mums doing part time work to 28 weeks and not working from 32 weeks   This always turns out better for the mother - listen

Working to 38 weeks is definitely not the way to go.

Eating - the big one is for mothers is to avoid food poisoning - this Kathy says is what it is all about.  Listen  - Fresh, organic,

Mothers milk and the magic of what it does. Listen

Baby be fed breast milk for the first 6 months - has all the antibodies and goodness for babies intestines.

Formula - very technically advanced now …

Though no colostrum, be it a mouse, a goat or a whale - because we are born with our intestines sterile.

The need for us all to be aware of the inherent goodness of mothers milk.

China Visit

Kathy talks about her last months visit to China of 1.4 billion people, where there are 400 million millennials in there 20’s and 30’s. That each year 17 million Chinese babies come into the world.

China is relaxing its 1 person policy to that of a 2  child policy - yet, with no welfare system available, the children as they grow older become aware of filial responsible for ones parents …of taking care of them in their retirement - getting an education and working is incredibly important over there. That child has 4 grand parents and 2 parents who have an investment in that child. Plus a respected hierarchy within the family - they still have strong Confusion values.

Kathy states that:

China in 10 to 15 years time will be a world leader in child birth and all things related to babies coming into the world?

Acupuncture is incorporated into their practices as well as traditional Chinese herbal medicine. This is happening here too  as we modernise obstetric care in NZ, with both acupuncture and homeopathy utilisation.

Topics covered included water births

Especially when it was first introduced in the 1980’s and water births need to be divided into 2 parts - one  water labour and 2 water births.

Labouring in water is good thing approved though the jury is still out in relationship to water births.

Other subjects covered is learning to squat - for assisting easy births. Most women in the developing squat to do many chores and thus are able to give birth easier due to the practice of opening their pelvis more.

Questions that ‘I’ did not get around to asking.

What was not covered was that certain Amazonian Indians continually pass their babies from mother to father to grandmother to grandfather to aunt to uncle back to the mother and around all the other relatives in the tribes  - so that the baby is so secure and at peace - that heart beats of different family member as well as energy given off is automatically sensed by the growing infant that some infants rarely have to crawl because they are always in some loving family members arms.

Not to use microwaved drink or food especially in plastic containers - even if approved as being microwave safe.

What are indigo children as well as rainbow and crystal children - (Very evolved souls).

https://www.todaysparent.com/baby/why-your-babys-gut-bacteria-is-so-important

Kathy’s Web site

https://www.kathyfray.com

Dec 5, 2018

I have watched John Tamihere from a distance, but became especially interested in his research on Auckland Council, when I read an article of his in the Herald on November 9th.

In the article John mentions Penny Bright’s ‘relentless requests’ for council to open its books. As Alan Preston and I have a petition now in parliament asking, in Penny’s words, “that the House of Representatives undertake an urgent inquiry into whether Auckland Council has failed to comply with the statutory requirements of section 17(1) of the Public Records Act 2005”, I contacted John to see if he would meet me.

Since meeting John, I have discovered a petition by Susan Wann that requests “that the House of Representatives conduct an independent inquiry into Auckland Council's performance, including financial accountability, and then pass legislation reforming Auckland's local government.”

So people are beginning to wake up to Auckland Council’s lack of financial performance and transparency, particularly around CCOs (Council Controlled Organisations) or Costly Creations as John has referred to them as.

Private procurement, or “contracting out” of public services, (formerly provided in-house under the public service model), is now often done under contract management. If there is no cost-benefit analysis which proves that privatisation is more cost-effective for ratepayers, then questions must be asked.

Both Susan Wann’s and my petition have been sent to the Governance and Administration Committee in parliament.

NZ law is very clear on the requirement for transparency in public spending:

Section 17(1) of the Public Records Act 2005 says:

“Requirement to create and maintain records

(1) Every public office and local authority must create and maintain full and accurate records of its affairs, in accordance with normal, prudent business practice, including the records of any matter that is contracted out to an independent contractor.”

John has discovered that $1.049 billion needs disclosure on via just 6 CCOs in the last annual reports. See his Herald article below where he also exposes the massive salaries of the CEOs of those 6 organisations. John says there is a need for whistleblowers.

John is very clear that people are waking to the fact that the Emperor has no clothes!

However he feels that we need to reset our culture. He says, “Kiwis are not stupid, they are waking up”.

He talks about the government’s next budget that is being called the Wellbeings Budget, where success will be measured by wellbeing. He is hopeful it will bring change.

He says supply-side economics has failed us and we need to acknowledge that. Supply-side economics is a macroeconomic theory arguing that economic growth can be most effectively created by lowering taxes and decreasing regulation and is often referred to as Rogernomics in New Zealand. After 30 years of it we have our profits going offshore and the gap between rich and poor has increased exponentially.

I asked John to imagine he was mayor, and what was the first thing he would do to rectify some of the issues we had raised. He replied, Clean the house”! He would like to keep democracy safe and one way to do that would be to appoint an integrity unit which in effect would be an ombudsman. Corruption must be addressed.

He spoke about recycling and homelessness, cycleways and a variety of issues.

He talked warmly of compassion and integrity and how we must not lose our humanity. Also democracy must not be retired to Netflix! Only 36% voted in the last local body elections and while some people don’t bother, others move house and so may not receive their voting papers.

John Tamihere Bio:

JT as is he is affectionately known - is one of Māoridom’s greatest enigmas.

Whether it has been battling in the political arena, where JT served two terms as a Government Minister or going toe-to-toe with iwi leadership over the rights of urban Māori, JT has never wavered from advocating for the rights and mana of his people.

Brought up by a rugby league loving Māori father and staunchly Catholic Pākehā mother, JT’s parents were a huge influence and encouraging force in his life.

Born 10th of 12 children, JT was the first to attend university, graduating with a double degree in arts and law.

In 1988, he was the youngest Regional Manager, Department of Māori Affairs and the youngest District Solicitor for Waikato Maniapoto Land District.

JT was appointed as CEO of West Auckland’s Waipareira Trust as Waitangi Treaty settlements with the Crown were being settled. But urban Māori were given no concessions or rights and JT, despite his own iwi affiliations, took the Wai414 Claim to the Waitangi Tribunal and later the Privy Council in London to address this injustice. The legal ruling of the Wai414 Claim recognised urban Māori under the Treaty.

That win catapulted JT into politics and he easily won the Hauraki Electorate for Labour, also appointed Chair of the Māori Affairs Select Committee. There was consensus that JT would become our first Māori Prime Minister, after winning the Tāmaki Makaurau seat in 2002 and promoted to Cabinet, that view seemed on track.

In 2005, JT left parliament, returning to Whānau Waipareira, where he has grown the organisation’s balance sheet by 90%, while establishing Waipareira as a local, national and internationally recognised whānau, who deploy services across an integrated framework.

He has also led the establishment of North Island Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency Te Pou Matakana. JT remains lead negotiator Ngāti Porou ki Hauraki and Chair of Ngāti Porou ki Hauraki and a Māori appointment on the Māori TV Board.

JT’s vision, leadership and genuine crossover appeal with Pākehā, has become a loss to politics but a major victory for urban Māori.

-------------------------------------------------------------

 

Here is John Tamihere’s Herald article, “Shine a Light on these Costly Creations,”

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=12156805&fbclid=IwAR2MvKVzEL6FR7qKJKmrRyUf7v1HjcAx8X71gOLS7Zz8ucX2qSfi4q-Z8Kk

Lisa Er and Alan William Preston’s petition press release

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1809/S00290/is-auckland-council-complying-with-the-public-records-act.htm

1