Money in the Banks (Part #Wha)
As previously reported (Money in the Banks Part #Toru), ACT President confirmed that John Banks had requested Kim Dotcom to split his $50,000 donation into two lots of $25,000, so they could be recorded as “anonymous”. He told Checkpoint’s Mary Wilson,
“He has given me an indication as to why he made that suggestion – and that was that he initially was going to put in $25,000 of his own money and he figured that other people should be putting in the same sort of numbers.”
However, in a bizarre twist, that original story has been removed from Radio NZ and has been replaced with this “correction”,
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The story “ACT president confirms Banks suggested donation be split” no longer exists on the Radio NZ News page, and the hyper-link goes to the new story, “ACT president ‘mistaken’ over donation comment”.
Audio link: Listen to Radio New Zealand’s political editor on Checkpoint
George Orwell would be doubleplusgood happy at this example of re-written history – or “error correction”, as it was described in the novel of “1984″.
However, be that as it may, this blogger heard the original interview between Mary Wilson and Chris Simmons, and can confirm that Simmons did say,
“He has given me an indication as to why he made that suggestion – and that was that he initially was going to put in $25,000 of his own money and he figured that other people should be putting in the same sort of numbers.”
It occurs to this blogger that Simmons slipped up; inadvertantly stated a truth he did not intend to disclose; and has somehow pressured Radio NZ to remove all traces of that interview from the broadcaster’s website. (A screenshot of the above “correction story” has been kept, in case that story disappears as well. We are living in strange times.)
The issue was discussed on this evening’s “News and Late Edition”.
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Acknowledgement
Mark H
Related Media
NZ Herald: Act Party president flip flops on money
Dominion Post: ACT chief retracts statement on Dotcom gift
Dominion Post: Five questions Banks must answer
NBR: NBR readers don’t believe Banks
Duncan Garner: If Banks called Dotcom – he’s gone
Related Blog Posts
Frankly Speaking: ACT woefully behind the times?
Tumeke: ACT Party President tells truth then retracts comments #dotcomgate
The Standard: Resignationwatch: Oopsie
The Dim Post: The source of the Prime Minister’s confusion
Waitakere News: Banks denies engaging in homosexual relationship with Kim Dotcom at SkyCity
Pundit: Why John Key’s doing the right thing, but is still in trouble
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Maybe… but I don’t think Simmons slipped up at all. If left unchecked, Banks is a poison that will kill off ACT. The best thing ACT could do is suck him in and spit him out, hand Epsom over to National (by not standing a candidate in the by-election) in exchange for support at the next election and use this time to rebuild their party.
ThAt thought crossed my mind as well, Space Monkey. I guess it boils down to the old question, Conspiracy or Cock Up. So far I haven’t seen much to suggest that ACT could organise a conspiracy at a CIA meeting…
There was an interesting story at the Herald, which stated, in part,
“Mr Simmons told Radio New Zealand’s Checkpoint programme that the split was “one of the suggestions made to Dotcom” by Mr Banks.
“He has given me an indication why he made that suggestion and that was that he initially was going to put in $25,000 of his own money and he figured that other people should be putting in the same sort of numbers.”
But a few minutes later, while talking to the Herald, Mr Simmons back-pedalled from his comments on Checkpoint, saying Mr Banks had not told him about the conversation with Dotcom.”- http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10803169
I think the way it happened was the Simmons slipped up on Radio NZ, and then minutes later a Heral journo listening to the interview got in touch with him to confirm the comments.
Simmons realised what he’d said and got back in touch with Radio NZ to retract.
Thing is, though, his comments seem fairly clear in their intent.
If it was a cunning plan by ACT hierarchy to rid themselves of Banks, it was masterfully executed…